cochise stronghold

All visitor activities begin at the wooded campgrounds. The 0.4 mile Nature Trail is an easy walk that identifies plants specifically found in this location. The 0.16 mile History walk is paved and provides an excellent description of historic use of the canyon. The 4.0 mile Cochise Trail is a fairly easy hike for the first 1.5 miles then becomes more rugged and steep. We highly recommend going on the Cochise Trail because of the variety of vegetation and scenic beauty of the adjacent mountains. The road into the Cochise Stronghold begins on the north side of Arizona Sun Sites on a paved road. After a few miles headed straight west, the road turns to gravel. Later, as you head into the valley you will pass by several homes. You will also drive through the stream at least 4 or 5 times. Go all the way to the end of the road which will bring you to the Oak wooded campground where all the trails are found. The drive can easily be completed by car.

We loved the accommodations, the natural environment, and the people. It is a remote place that caterers to people who love nature, want peace and quiet, and a wonderful community

Huge thanks to this guest for their glowing report and amazing photographs. We are blessed to be able to run this business that allows us to meet so many wonderful people who share our interests in the beauty of the natural world and who love birds and wildlife.Thank you also to all of our previous reviewers, we are so happy that you enjoyed your visits!We are sorry that the last stretch of road was bumpy for your visit. Hurricane Odile in September of 2014 misssed giving it's predicted rainfall to Tucson, and instead deposited the most water seen by local residents in 18 years to the Cochise Stronghold area. The Forest Service has the road to Cochise Stronghold, A Canyon Nature Retreat, as part of their scheduled maintenace, and the road should be smoother after they can get to it. In the meantime, the road is still completely passable to even passenger cars - one of our friends has a Prius (a low-clearance car) and has no trouble getting in and out. The awesome rains did make for a spectacular greening of the desert this last Fall. We'll never complain about receiving water out here :)

The trail is moderate in difficulty-- about 1000 in elevation change. It is well-marked and stable, for the most part. Beautiful views at the top! You can learn about the history of Chief Cochise and the U.S. Army.

We stayed in the camp ground then trekked in the dark to get sunrise in the stronghold. Beautiful to watch. If you are thinking of trekking up there, the trees on route provide shade from the sun. A must for those who like history.

Liked:-John and Nancy-Food-Room-Surroundings-Atmosphere-EverythingDidn't Like-Didn't stay long enough

Driving in is very pretty impressive and the Dragoons are extremely rugged, giving you an understanding of why it was impossible for the U.S. Army to ever capture Cochise. He and his bend of merry men would hide on the mountain and the cavalry had zero chance of ever tracking them down from up there. Cochise, who died of apparent stomach cancer, is buried somewhere among the vast granite boulder fields on the mountain and the only white man who ever knew where was Indian Agent Tom Jeffords, Cochise's only white friend. Did Cochise and Chiricahuas on the same day. Great trip. Chiricahuas under separate review.

If you like the outdoors, don't mind the heat in the summer and have a thing for breathtaking sunsets nightly, this is somewhere you defenitely need to go!! A perfect location for hiking and climbing where the Apache once lived, and a great place to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

We visited with my Dad who was visiting from VT, we live about 7 miles away in the little village of Sunsites.There is a nice self guided walkway with plaques, we continued on up a hiking trail for a few miles ... There is a nice little stream up always, nice place to take a break!

So breathtaking and rugged. More climbing than you could do in a lifetime. I want to buy a van, live in it at the base of the cliffs and climb here every day!

The cochise stronghold rock formations are out of this world. In Arizona there are volcanic island of lava flows cropping up all over the desert. And the legend that Cochise is buried up there only adds to the mystery

Several miles of dusty road is rewarded with the lush green canopy that greets us at the campsite/trail head. What a relief from the barren landscape leading up to it. This is a pleasant place to come for a picnic if we were not hiking. We have ridden these trails on horseback and hiked the few miles up to the "saddle". It's more enjoyable hiking this rather narrow canyon than riding, for me. There's an old concrete well and a small pond or "tank" along the way. The trail gets steeper with loose stones after the "tank". Hiking in the morning or afternoon is more comfortable for us because of the shade. The canyon along the stream has picturesque rock formations. Is Cochise really buried in here somewhere? We continue to look each time we come here.

There are no showers and no water and the toilets are vault type. Everything else is great. There is plenty of shade and the campsites are nice with tent pads, big picnic tables, BBQs and plenty of space. The sites aren't too close together either. I don't recall the price but it wasn't a very expensive campground. The scenery looking into the stronghold is quite nice as well. Certainly recommended.

We've visited twice. Both times the feeling of history creeps up your back as you look at the rugged and rocky peaks of this small range of mountains. The legend that Cochise is buried somewhere in them adds to the significance of the place. It is easy to see why the Indians trumped the cavalry for twelve years here, in the mid-late 1800's. The park is not large, but has some good local hiking trails and good photo opportunities. The access road can be wash-boardy, but it is maintained, so slow down and the average passenger car will make it in fine. From Interstate 10 take exit 331. Go south on Highway 191 to the town of Sunsites. There is a sign at Ironwood Road for Cochise Stronghold on the north edge of of Sunsites. Take Ironwood Road west from Sunsites to the park. The park is fairly well signed.

Amazing rock formations, just like we used to see in the western movies and Saturday morning tv serials. Beautiful campground at the end of the trail, not really accessible for RV's or travel trailers/fifth wheels, but nice for tent or camper camping. Group campsites available with reservations. Lots of hiking trails, and you can bring horses also if that is your desire. The road is gravel and rough in places, but you don't need a 4-wheel drive to make it to the campground. Much history here, and there are two cabins available for rental at a very reasonable price. Check out the website reserveamerica.com for more info. Campground use includes a fee, but if you are just driving through or stopping for only a few minutes there is no fee. Restrooms at the campground, but no running water in these restrooms.