Notable Campground

Reef Townsite Campground
A really cool little campground

Southbound on State Route 92, mesquite trees dance in the shimmering sunlight. To the east, a narrow green ribbon marks the San Pedro River. The only year round water in the San Rafael Valley, the San Pedro offers hiking under a canopy of cottonwood and willows and opportunities to see a wide variety of birds. On the southern horizon the Huachuca Mountains dominates the view and hidden high up on its eastern face is Reef Townsite campground, one outstandingly and cool campground.

Delightfully unknown (even to the locals), Reef Townsite campground is nestled among fragrant Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Silverleaf oak and red-barked Manzanita. High above fast growing Sierra Vista, Arizona, the campground is refreshingly cool even when the valley below is experiencing asphalt melting temperatures. With an interesting history, lots of hiking, glorious vistas, and spacious sites, Reef Townsite is a campground for more than a weekend.

What Reef Townsite doesn't have is a good access route for recreation vehicles. The 6.7 miles of forest route to the campground is definitely a "white knuckle" experience. It is a narrow dirt roadway with impressive drop-offs and pocket-knife shaped switchbacks. On the positive side, the panoramic views, from the Santa Rita to Mule Mountain ranges, are about 120 degrees wide.

Initially, the Huachuca Mountains were mined for lumber. Logging began in 1878 to supply the boomtown of Tombstone, stamp mills along the San Pedro River, and nearby Fort Huachuca. Mining, the next affront to the Mountains, began with the first claim in 1893. Gold and silver were discovered. However, for the next sixty years success was limited. The Reef Townsite Historic trail, 0.7-mile loop trail, points out some remnants of those mining efforts on the Mountains, such as mill foundations and piles of broken milky quartz scattered over the hillsides. A need for tungsten in the mid-20th century brought a secondary flurry of mining to Carr Canyon. But when the government stopped subsidizing the ore's price, this effort was also discontinued and the town died.

Reef Townsite campground is at the edge of the Miller Peak Wilderness and makes a good base camp for exploring the Wilderness. Directly across the road from the campground's entrance is access to over 50-miles of trails in and around the Huachuca Mountain's wilderness.

Tall, straight trees in southeast Arizona aren't as rare as some might think but they are generally located atop "sky islands." Sitting atop the shear walls of Carr Canyon at 7200-feet, among the pine, fir, and oaks, Reef Townsite campground offers breathtaking views among the smells and cool shade from the trees. There are other campgrounds in Southern Arizona worthy of a stay but few have the history, variety of hiking opportunities, breathtaking views, or wide range of fun found at Reef Townsite campground.

Click on campground name for detailed description of Reef Townsite campground.