Cochise Trail--Cochise Stronghold CG to Stronghold Divide

Cochise Trail--Cochise Stronghold CG to Stronghold Divide

Cochise, Arizona 85606

Official Website
Cochise Stronghold website
Cochise Stronghold map

About this Location

In the 1860s, the charismatic Chiricahua Apache leader, Cochise, adopted the rugged canyons that cross the midsection of the Dragoon Mountains as a refuge for himself and his people. The place came to be known as Cochise Stronghold. One feature of this natural fortress was that the two rocky canyons, one from each side of the mountain range, nearly meet high in the Dragoons. With their outlandish rock formations and thick oak-juniper vegetation, they offer a concealed escape route in either direction. No one knows how many times Cochise and his people used these two canyons and the trail that connects them to move across these mountains. Today, Forest visitors travel this route as a portal back into this area’s colorful past, as well as an access route to its scenic present. The trail extends between the Cochise Stronghold Campground on the east and a 4-wheel drive road (FR 688) into West Stronghold Canyon on the west side of the Dragoons. If you choose, you can travel all the way to Council Rocks at the mouth of West Stronghold. A trip along this trail will give you some idea of why Cochise considered it a stronghold.

About Cochise Stronghold

See all hotspots at Cochise Stronghold

Cochise Stronghold is located to the west of Sunsites, Arizona in the Dragoon Mountains at an elevation of 5,000 ft. This beautiful woodland area lies in a protective rampart of granite domes and sheer cliffs which were once the refuge of the great Apache Chief, Cochise, and his people. Located within the Coronado National Forest it is managed by the Douglas Ranger District. In Sunsites, AZ, take Ironwood Road (off AZ-191) west 9.1 miles to the campground entrance. Once inside the Forest, Ironwood Road becomes FR-84. NOTE: After, 3.8 miles, Ironwood Road (and FR-84) becomes a rough, rocky dirt road. There are five stream crossings on FR-84 that can be forded if not wet weather.

Notable Trails

The AllTrails website has a description and map of the Cochise Trail.

Content from Official Website and Cochise Stronghold website