Reef Townsite Campground
- Reef Townsite Campground
Campground Overview:
Reef Townsite Campground is located high in the Huachuca Mountains in the southeastern region of the Coronado National Forest. This high mountain campground was constructed on a site that was once occupied by the old mining town of Reef. That remote outpost got its name from the nearby Carr Reef, a tall band of quartzite-bearing cliffs that form the Huachuca Mountains’ dramatic eastern front. Mining activity along the Reef began during the last few years of the nineteenth century and proceeded in fits and starts all the way into the 1950’s.
The property occupied by the mines and the town was returned to public ownership in 1970, and in 1988, the Forest Service constructed a campground on the townsite. A number of picnic tables and tent pads were placed within the visible outlines of old cabin foundations.
Many relics of Reef’s mining history, including the remains of the town’s old water system and miscellaneous features, are still visible in and around the campground. Evidence of old mining digs and foundations for an ore mill provide points of interest along a three-quarter-mile interpretive trail which begins and ends at the northeastern end of the campground.
Campsites:
Reef Townsite Campground is a smaller campground with only 14 campsites. The entire campground can be reserved for one group of up to 50 people. Facilities include a picnic shelter that contains six picnic tables, two large group barbecue grills and two food preparation tables, as well as toilets, a parking area and a large shaded area for tents. Water in unavaliable so be prepared to bring your own.
From Tucson, Arizona: drive east on I-10 to exit 302 to State Route 90. Drive south 25 miles through Sierra Vista. Proceed 8 miles south of Sierra Vista on State Route 92 and turn west onto Carr Canyon Road/Forest Road 368. High clearance vehicle recommend: The forest road up to the campground is challenging. It is a steep, windy dirt road and many locations are only wide enough for one vehicle at a time. Drive carefully and do not attempt in bad weather without a high clearance vehicle.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Semi-Developed |
Season: |
April- November |
Nearby City: |
Sierra Vista |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Reef Townsite Campground |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basis |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Southeastern Arizona has a wealth of cultural, historical and natural resources. There are many opportunities for half or full day, side trips in the surrounding area. Walk back into the Old West and stand in the footprints of the Earp brothers at the OK Corral, relive the mining boomtown days on Brewery Gulch or explore the remnants of old forts or Indian hideouts. Get out and hike on the lush riparian areas of the San Pedro River or add to your “life lists” at nearby.
Huachuca Mountains are the third highest of the Sky Island mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and they rise almost 4,500 feet above the desert floor. The mountain range is oriented in a northwestern direction giving it more north-facing slopes and perhaps a somewhat cooler climate than some of the other Sky Island mountain ranges with similar elevation. The highest elevations support mixed conifer forests on north-facing slopes and pine forests on south-facing slopes. Lower elevations have extensive oak and oak-pine woodlands. The Huachucas are rich in history. These canyons, cliffs, and forests are littered with the remains of various late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century mining booms that all eventually went bust. Today, the gold rush has been replaced by a recreation rush which is adding a new chapter to the history of the Miller Peak Wilderness.
Miller Peak Wilderness Named for the highest peak in the Huachuca Mountains, and is the highest and southernmost peak in the United States. This Wilderness encompasses 20,190 acres and was established in 1984. The Miller Peak Wilderness is a land of sheer cliffs, soaring summits and deep canyons. In these diverse life-zones lives an amazing variety of wildlife including over 170 species of birds (14 species of hummingbirds). Seventy-eight species of mammals have been observed in the Huachuca’s including coatimundi, javelina, black bear and mountain lion. Seventeenth-century Spanish Captain Juan Mateo Manje referred to these mountains in his expedition journal as Sierra de Huachuca, or Huachuca Mountains. At least 21 trails lead through the Wilderness from its eastern, western, and southern boundaries.
Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. The memorial is located in a natural setting on the international border on the southeast flank of the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista, Arizona. The memorial confirms the ties that bind the United States and Mexico. The Memorial includes a small visitor center and gives visitors access to the surrounding area. With over eight miles of hiking trails, Coronado National Memorial is a great place to explore the outdoors.
Coronado Cave Trail takes explorers up the hillside to the mouth of an large cave. The cave may have been used by humans as a shelter and hideout by middle archaic people (up to 8000 years ago) and more recently by the Chiricahua Apache and other Apache peoples, Mexican and European miners, and settlers. Parts of the cave ceilings have been marked by earlier visitors with fire and carvings, some date back to Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and others are dated around the late 1800’s. AZ Camp Guide had the opportunity to visit the cave in March 2018. If you find yourself in this part of the world, it is worth the trip and great way to spend the afternoon.
San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area contains about 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area (NCA) on November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the designation is to protect and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the Southwest. Many recreational opportunities are available within the conservation area.
Murray Springs Clovis Site, a significant archaeological site that contains an undisturbed stratigraphic record of the past 40,000 years. Excavations were conducted by the University of Arizona from 1966 to 1971. People first arrived in this area 11,000 years ago. They belonged to what we now call the Clovis Culture and were the earliest known people to have inhabited North America. Named after the distinctive and beautifully crafted Clovis spear points they made, they were expert hunters of the large mammals of the last Ice Age. An interpretive trail leads visitors through the site.
The Spanish Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate is the most intact remaining example of a once-extensive network of similar presidios. These fortresses marked the northern extension of New Spain into the New World. Only a stone foundation and a few remaining adobe wall remnants mark the location of an isolated and dangerous military station.
The San Pedro House, located 9 miles east of Sierra Vista on State Highway 90, is a popular trailhead for birdwatchers, hikers, and mountain bikers. The Friends of San Pedro operate a bookstore and information center.
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