Cochise Trail #279

In the 1860’s, 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 why Cochise considered it a stronghold.