THE DRAGOON MOUNTAINS

The Dragoon Mountain range is just west of the Chiricahua mountain range and East of the Historical town of Tombstone AZ. To get to the Dragoons to camp with your horses head towards Tombstone from Benson AZ. Just before Tombstone look for a gravel road on the left it comes up fast after the road on the right where the boarder patrol are. Turn left on the gravel road called Middlemarch road. Go about 8 miles until you come to a "Y" after the ranch with the windmill. At the "Y" take the "Narrow" road to the left. Yes you will fit through the gate. If we do anyone can LOL the first hill up and down is steep so watch your bottom of you trailer.Follow this narrow gravel road until at least the second cattle gate. You will come into a large open field, there is a road to the right that has some good campsite on it or you can go straight through and find a good spot. There are trails leading into the sand draw all along the cliff sides. 

Head about 8 miles down Middlemarch road until you see the "Y" in the road.

You will see this cattle guard and gate on the left you will fit through as we did and our rig is huge. 

Go about 2 miles until you get to next cattle gate. 

The narrow road twists and turns for miles there are some turns off the the right but wait until you cross second cattle guard before turning right. 

We found a lovely spot up against the rock formations below the mountains

Sharon's found the perfect spot right next to us.

He is a picture of Ron and our little cat up the hill beside us. 

One of the many view from the rocks above us.

Our cat Kenya has to go every time we go for a walk even if it means climbing a mountian. She is having a nap after the big climb.

Over to the right you can see more horse campers. 

Lots of horse campers in the area popping in for visits. 

Getting ready for our first ride. 

This is the campsite below us. To narrow for our big rigs but what a beautiful site. 

This was a dead end to the area mountain climbers go to climb the steep cliffs. 

The trails lead you out towards all the beautiful rock formations. 

Sharon and Toby with the rock formations and hills in the background. 

Nice shot of Ron coming down the hill.

Great rock formations every where. This area is so different then anywhere else in Arizona. Ron said it is a lot like the African Serengeti grasslands, I have never been to Africa but Ron had. 

This rugged natural fortress was, for some 15 years, the home and base of operations for the famed Chiricahua Apache Chief, Cochise.  Cochise and about 1,000 of his followers, of whom some 250 were warriors, located here.  Sentinels, constantly on watch from the towering pinnacles of rock, could spot their enemies in the valley below and sweep down without warning in destructive raids.  No man, woman or child within a hundred miles was safe from these attacks.

Born in present-day Arizona, Cochise led the Chiricahua band of the Apache tribe during a period of violent social upheaval. In 1850, the United States took control over the territory that today comprises Arizona and New Mexico.  Not hostile to the whites at first, he kept peace with the Anglo-Americans until 1861, when he became their implacable foe because of the blunder of a young U.S. Army officer, Lt. George Bascom.   In that year, Cochise and several of his relatives had gone to an encampment of soldiers in order to deny the accusation that they had abducted a child from a ranch. The boy was later proved to have been kidnapped by another band of Apaches. During the parley, Cochise and his followers were ordered held as hostages by Bascom, but Cochise managed to escape almost immediately by cutting a hole in a tent. Bascom later ordered the other Apache hostages hanged, and the embittered Cochise joined forces with Mangas Coloradas, his father-in-law, in a guerrilla struggle against the American army and settlers. The capture and murder of Mangas Coloradas in 1863 left Cochise as the Apache war chief.   The U.S. Army captured him in 1871 and prepared to transfer the Chiricahua to a reservation hundreds of miles away, but he escaped again and renewed the resistance campaign. The following year after negotiating a new treaty with the help of Thomas Jeffords, his only white friend the band was allowed  to stay in their homeland. 

Back at camp after first ride.

Sammy and Duma enjoying the sun.

Heading out on day 2 of riding the trails in the Dragoons

These rock formations are amazing

Today we are heading out to see the Council Rocks. Where it is said Cochise signed a peace tready with the white man. 

Spot the mule.

Our campsite is about to grow as we have 4 friends heading here from Washington.