Coronado National Forest
| Coronado National Forest | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
 | |
  | |
| Location | Arizona / New Mexico, USA |
| Nearest city | Tucson, AZ |
| Coordinates | 31°59′47″N 110°18′32″W / 31.99639°N 110.30889°WCoordinates: 31°59′47″N 110°18′32″W / 31.99639°N 110.30889°W |
| Area | 1.78 million acres (7,200 km2) |
| Established | April 11, 1902 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Coronado National Forest |
The Coronado National Forest includes an area of about 1.78 million acres (7,200 km2) spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.
It is located in parts of Cochise, Graham, Santa Cruz, Pima, and Pinal counties in Arizona, and Hidalgo County in New Mexico.
The National Forest is divided into five ranger districts. The districts themselves are not contiguous; each consists of multiple "sky island" mountain ranges.
The Santa Catalina Ranger District near the city of Tucson comprises the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains. Included in this area is the highest peak of the Santa Catalinas, Mount Lemmon, the rugged Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area, and the popular Sabino Canyon. Much of this district was part of Santa Catalina National Forest before its inclusion in Coronado.
The Safford Ranger District comprises the mountain ranges surrounding the city of Safford, Arizona. These five ranges are the Pinaleño, Galiuro, Santa Teresa, Winchester, and Greasewood Mountains. Included in this area is the highest peak of the Pinaleños, Mount Graham. Mount Graham National Forest was a formerly separate national forest, combined into Crook National Forest on July 1, 1908. In 1953 part of Crook was absorbed into Coronado.
The Nogales Ranger District comprises four mountain ranges north and west of Nogales, Arizona. These ranges are the Santa Rita, Tumacacori, Pajarito, and San Luis Mountains. Included in this area are Mount Hopkins, Mount Wrightson, and Madera Canyon, all located in the Santa Ritas. In the early 20th century this area included two national forests which were absorbed into Coronado: Santa Rita National Forest and Tumacacori National Forest.[1]
The Douglas Ranger District comprises three mountain ranges north and east of Douglas, Arizona. These ranges are the Chiricahua, Dragoon, and Peloncillo Mountains. A portion of the Ranger District in the Peloncillos extends into New Mexico. The district comprises three formerly separate national forests: Chiricahua National Forest, Dragoon National Forest and Peloncillo National Forest, all combined into Coronado.[1]
The Sierra Vista Ranger District comprises three mountain ranges west of Sierra Vista, Arizona. These ranges are the Huachuca, Patagonia, and Whetstone Mountains. Included in this area is the highest peak in the Huachucas, Miller Peak, and the region of the Huachucas known as Canelo Hills. The district includes the formerly separate Huachuca National Forest [1]
¡Three Amigos! was partially filmed here in addition to Old Tucson Studios.
Wilderness
The Coronado National Forest contains eight designated wilderness areas, with at least one in each Ranger District. Congress defines wilderness as an area "untrammeled by man." Common activities in the Coronado National Forest wilderness areas include hiking, horseback riding, camping, hunting, and fishing. The use of mechanized or motorized equipment, including bicycles, generators, and chain saws, is prohibited.[2]
- Chiricahua Wilderness (Douglas District)
- Galiuro Wilderness (Safford District)
- Miller Peak Wilderness (Sierra Vista District)
- Mount Wrightson Wilderness (Nogales District)
- Pajarita Wilderness (Nogales District)
- Pusch Ridge Wilderness (Santa Catalina District)
- Rincon Wilderness (Santa Catalina District)
- Santa Teresa Wilderness (Safford District)
Campgrounds
Below is a table displaying all public campgrounds located within the Coronado National Forest.[3] Most requiring a daily/nightly fee (see Coronado National Forest official website for accurate and current details), though some do not.
| Campground | Status * | Elevation | Fee | Mountain Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia | Open | 6700 | Yes | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Bathtub | Open | 6300 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Bog Springs | Open | 5200 | Yes | Santa Rita Mountains |
| Cochise Stronghold | Developed sites Closed until Sept 1st. Dispersed camping is OPEN |
5000 | Yes | Dragoon Mountains |
| Cunningham | Open | 9000 | Yes | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Cypress Park | Open | 6000 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| General Hitchcock | Open | 6000 | Yes | Santa Catalina Mountains |
| Gordon Hirabayashi | Open | 5000 | Yes | Santa Catalina Mountains |
| Herb Martyr | Open | 5800 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Hospital Flat | Open | 9000 | Yes | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Idlewilde | Open | 5000 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| John Hands | Open | 5600 | No | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Lakeview (Parker Cyn Lake) |
Open | 5400 | Yes | Huachuca Mountains (Canelo Hills) |
| Molino Basin | Open | 4500 | Yes | Santa Catalina Mountains |
| Peppersauce | Open | 4700 | Yes | Santa Catalina Mountains |
| Pinery Canyon | Open | 7000 | No | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Ramsey Vista | Open | 7400 | Yes | Huachuca Mountains |
| Reef Townsite | Open | 7200 | Yes | Huachuca Mountains |
| Riggs Flat | Open | 8600 | Yes | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Rose Canyon | Open | 7000 | Yes | Santa Catalina Mountains |
| Rucker Forest Camp | Open | 6500 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Rucker Lake | Open | 6300 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Rustler Park | Open | 8500 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Shannon | Open | 9100 | Yes | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Soldier Creek | Closed | 9300 | Yes | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Spencer Canyon | Open | 8000 | Yes | Santa Catalina Mountains |
| Stewart | Open | 5100 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Stockton Pass | Open | 5600 | No | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Sunny Flat | Open | 5200 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Sycamore | Open | 6200 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| W Turkey Creek | Open | 5900 | Yes | Chiricahua Mountains |
| White Rock | Open | 4000 | Yes | Tumacacori Mountains |
* Information is accurate as of Tuesday, 17 June 2008 at 13:39:50 EDT
Former National Forests
Huachuca National Forest
Huachuca National Forest was established as the Huachuca Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona on November 6, 1906 with 314,125 acres (127,122 ha). It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 the entire forest was combined with Baboquivari National Forest and Tumacacori National Forest to establish Garces National Forest, and the name was discontinued. The lands are presently included in Coronado National Forest.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005), National Forests of the United States (PDF), The Forest History Society, archived from the original (pdf) on 2013-02-12
- ↑ Coronado National Forest Wilderness
- ↑ Coronado National Forest - Campground Guide
External links
- Coronado National Forest Web Site
- Forest History Society
- Hikes in the Coronado National Forest at HikeArizona.COM
- Listing of the National Forests of the United States and Their Dates (from Forest History Society website) Text from Davis, Richard C., ed. Encyclopedia of American Forest and Conservation History. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company for the Forest History Society, 1983. Vol. II, pp. 743-788.