Hiking the Cochise Stronghold

Outcrops of eroded, rounded boulders feature in many places across the Southwest, in such diverse locations as Joshua Tree National Park and Pinnacles National Park in California, Granite Mountain in north Arizona, and Hueco Tanks in Texas. Another, not so well known location is Cochise Stronghold, part of the Coronado National Forest in southeast Arizona, part of the Dragoon Mountains of Arizona, which are a relatively small range, extending north-south for 20 miles, south of Interstate 10, between Tucson to the west and Willcox to the east.

Most of the hills are traditional in appearance, with wooded, rounded peaks and ridges but at the Stronghold, over an area approximately 2 by 3 miles, the underlying brownish granite is largely exposed, and weathered to form a varied array of domes, fines, pinnacles and boulder piles.

The many narrow ravines, sheer cliffs and other hard-to-reach places made this an ideal refuge for the Chiricahua Apache Indians and their famed chief Cochise, who dwelt here for several years in the 1860s following the battle of Apache Pass. Cochise is buried here in an unmarked location that was known only to his immediate family and friends, and is now thought to be lost.

The Cochise Stronghold Trail winds through this area, giving the hiker an appreciation of the local geology and history.  We decided to learn about all of that and drove over to the trailhead.  Here we are at the entrance to Cochise Stronghold:

Everywhere we looked, the granite, tuff and sandstone rocks formed a dramatic environment:

Fall has arrived in Arizona, as this sycamore tree whispered to Kathy:

Juniper and manzanita dotted the hillsides:

Here, David paused to relax with one of his stony friends:

While we anticipated rattlesnakes, and other hikers warned us about javelinas, the only wildlife we spotted other than birds were these cute lizards, which ranged from 3 to 6 inches long:

The rock formations were varied and compelling:

A mile into our hike, we discovered the Cochise Spring, which was full of clear, cold water:

Kathy discovered this huge Century Plant, which dwarfed most of the trees and bushes in the area:

Ridges of sculpted rock surrounded us as our track swung north:

Here is another view of the ridges that surrounded us:

And yet another view:

Two miles up the trail, we encountered Half Moon Tank, a reservoir filled with still, dark water.  The watering hole was built by the Green brothers on June 15, 1952 and still holds water.

Not to be outdone by the giant Century Plant Kathy discovered earlier, this huge Sotol lords it over the trail:

Ultimately, we reached an overlook boasting a commanding view to the northeast, toward the valley we drove through from Willcox and, far across, the Chiracahua National Monument.  Kathy paused while eating her lunch to admire the view:

It's impossible to convey the scale of this landscape with mere photographs.  To help you get a better idea what we enjoyed, here is a 360 degree view near the Stronghold Divide.

After finishing our lunch, we returned back down the trail, encountering once again the Halfmoon Tank, giving us a gorgeous view of a peak beyond:

Along the trail are other beautiful sights, including this young, healthy yucca --

-- and this blooming cholla:

As we neared our original trailhead, the sun was sinking into the sky, pushing shadows up the cliffs.  As we admired the lengthening shade, we noticed the moon perched above this peak --

-- and thought it was time to get off the trail and head back to our campground before dark and the cold night settled around us.  Time to do some chores and rest up for tomorrow's adventure.