Distance from Tucson
70 miles southeast

Directions
I-10 east from Tucson to the Dragoon exit 318. Go through Dragoon and head east about 7.5 miles from the post office to Stronghold Rd. and make a right. Follow 6 miles to its end and make a right and follow the road into the Stronghold. If you get lost you can also go in from 666 south of Wilcox.

The Apaches made these mountains famous when they used the rugged canyons as a stronghold for their raids on other tribes, the Mexicans and Americans. The canyons are extremely rugged and difficult to navigate. Legend has it that Cochise was buried along with his horse by being lowered into a large crack in the cliffs.

A hiking trail ascends from the campground through the oak forest and granite boulders to the crest of the range and leads down to the other side to the West Stronghold. It is a pleasant walk; just remember to take plenty of water. Allow 2 hours round trip.

Another good hike starts form the boulder in the middle of the road just before the campground. This is the way rock climbers get to Rockfellow and Chochise Domes, among others. Follow the vague route up the drainage; it branches many times, best to keep to the left. If you are lucky enough to follow the route to the top of the valley (takes about and hour) you will end up wandering among a fairyland of huge boulders. It is easy to get lost doing this hike, if you are not up to some adventure and route finding stick with the maintained trail from campground.