Half Moon Ranch
Half Moon Ranch is a ranch style house located in East Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains of the Coronado National Forest, approximately 1-1/2 hours east of Tucson. The house is situated in a dramatic canyon that provides excellent rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding opportunities.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins with electric | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Entry | Fits, ft | People / vehicles | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Moon Ranch | Back-in | 100 | 10 / 2 | Yes |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
Half Moon Ranch is a seven-room ranch style house, suitable for groups of up to 9 people. The house has two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. The master bedroom has a queen-size bed; the second bedroom has two beds, a twin and full. The living room contains two double futons, rocking chairs, and a wood stove (firewood not provided). The dining room has a table and chairs that seats six. A small dinette set with seating for four is located in the kitchen. The kitchen is equipped with a stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator, pots, pans, utensils, dishes, & coffee machine. The house has electricity and running water. Outside, guests will enjoy using picnic table for outdoor dining. Although the cabin has amenities for comfortable lodging, guests do need to provide some of their own supplies, including food, sleeping bags, linens, pillows, towels, dish soap, matches, a first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From Tucson: Take I-10 east to Exit #318 (Dragoon Road). Turn right onto Dragoon Road and travel for approximately 10 miles through the village of Dragoon to the Cochise Stronghold Road. Turn right on Cochise Stronghold Road and travel for approximately 6 miles to Ironwood Road. The paved road dead ends at Ironwood Road.
| Nearest town | Douglas, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 31.9464° N, 109.9554° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Please note that the indoor fireplace is not maintained for use.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedDouglas Piles Rx
37 mi from the campground · 46 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 24.4 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 58 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Trails nearby
- 0.9 miCochise Horse Trail1 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 1.8 miCochise ↗4.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.8 miStronghold Nature ↗0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 2.4 miMiddlemarch Canyon2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.5 miSlavin Gulch3.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- J.H. Smith Grocery Store and Filling StationBuilding · Dragoon · 7.4 mi
- Our Lady of Victory Catholic ChurchBuilding · Pearce · 8.3 mi
- Pearce General StoreBuilding · Pearce · 8.4 mi
Natural features
Half Moon Ranch is surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Dragoon Mountains and Cochise Stronghold. At an elevation of 5,000 feet, the sparsely wooded area is a protective rampart of granite spires, sheer cliffs, and balanced rocks and boulders which were once the refuge of the Apache Chief, Cochise. The ranch house lies in a mountain range or "sky island" in the Coronado National Forest, rising dramatically from the desert floor and supporting abundant and biologically diverse plant and animal communities.
Recreation
The area around Half Moon ranch has long been considered a bouldering and rock climbing paradise, boasting backcountry and protected routes ranging from one to seven pitches in length, and from 5.6 to 5.12 in difficulty. Most approaches are 30-60 minutes in length, although there are a number of known areas that are easily accessible from the roads. In addition, the nearby Cochise Stronghold Campground has interpretive tales for both natural and cultural resources and history.
Nearby
The Half Moon Ranch is located approximately 9 miles west of Sunsites, Arizona. Attractions in the area include the Chiricahua National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, the Amerind Foundation, the ghost towns of Gleeson, Dos Cabezas, and Courtland, and the Willcox Playa.
Guidebooks for Arizona
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New MexicoMike White and Douglas Lorain, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Half Moon Ranch?
Sites at Half Moon Ranch are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Half Moon Ranch?
Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Half Moon Ranch have?
1 site, including 1 cabin with power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is there cell service at Half Moon Ranch?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is there to do at Half Moon Ranch?
The area around Half Moon ranch has long been considered a bouldering and rock climbing paradise, boasting backcountry and protected routes ranging from one to seven pitches in length, and from 5.6 to 5.12 in difficulty. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Half Moon Ranch?
Douglas, Arizona. The Half Moon Ranch is located approximately 9 miles west of Sunsites, Arizona.
Source: Getting there
What if Half Moon Ranch is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Cochise Stronghold Campground (1.8 mi, first-come), Bonita Canyon Campground (35.5 mi), and Walnut Grove Campground (36.7 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby