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 Rd. (off State Rt. 191) west 9.1 miles to campground entrance. Once inside the Forest, Ironwood Rd. becomes Forest Rt. 84. NOTE: After, 3.8 miles, Ironwood Rd. (and Forest Rt. 84) becomes a Forest Service-maintained dirt road. While the road can appear rough, people in passenger cars frequently traverse the road. There are five, usually dry, stream crossings on Forest Rt. 84. Unless there has been unusually heavy rains within the last 48 hours, most cars can pass without trouble even when the streams are flowing. Ford at your own risk, however.
Data credit to:
https://cochisestronghold.com/
Image credit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recreation/recarea/?recid=80249&actid=34
History
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.
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.