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I’m often asked which is my favorite
place to make images within the confines of my home state of
Arizona. The questioner is usually surprised to hear the
answer. My favorite location is NOT the Grand Canyon, it is
not Monument Valley, nor the slot canyons—it is the
grasslands and boulders of the western Dragoon Mountains.
The Dragoons are a maze of granite spires, yawning crevices
and abrupt precipices. Balanced rocks and boulders the size
of small houses are sprinkled across steep hillsides. The
wheaten grasslands are dotted with huge oaks under whose
canopies you could conceal a small house (well, at least a
large outhouse). Soaptree yuccas and sporadic cholla break
the profile of the tall flowing grass. Deer and raptors,
snakes and coyotes can also be found—the range abounds in
wildlife.
It's easy to see why Cochise and the Chiricahua Apaches
favored the rugged Dragoon's as a haven when fleeing the
U.S. Army more than a century ago. The Apache warriors could
easily disappear into this vertical labyrinth and still be
able to observe any intruder's approach from the safety of
the peaks. Clear springs seeped year-round, and the
hillsides produced enough sustenance to revitalize the
warriors after their long overland treks. Mesquite beans,
pinon nuts and the fruit of the banana yucca supplemented
whatever small game could be found.
Access, Seasons, and
Accommodations
In the Dragoons, all things begin either in the two
geometrically opposed strongholds: Cochise Stronghold in the
East, and on the other side, the West Stronghold. The Dragoons can be reached from
Middlemarch Road, picked up about 2 miles outside of
Tombstone off of SR80. Head east toward the Dragoon Range,
and after about 10 miles take a left turn onto FR 687. You
have now entered a photographer's paradise. It is easy to
see how the entire range will glow in the late afternoon
sunlight, with flowing grasslands, soaptree yuccas and
prickly pear providing foreground. The road winds along the
western face of the range, eventually turning east and
ending in the West Stronghold.
Photographically the region is quite diverse. At 4500 feet
in altitude it will get snow a couple of times each winter,
and if the summer monsoon is consistent, the grasslands can
be covered in poppies in July and August. The Banana Yuccas
bloom in late March and into April. In the fall, sycamores,
willows and cottonwoods change color, usually around late
October or early November.
The developed campground at Cochise
Stronghold, on the east side of the Dragoons, is one of the
best campgrounds in southern Arizona. The site has water,
restrooms and is the starting point for good hiking trails
(the Cochise Trail leads from Cochise Stronghold to the
Western Stronghold). Free, primitive camping is available on
the west side of the range.
Council Rocks
My favorite spot in the Dragoons is
Council Rocks. A winding rough road that turns right off of
FR 687 leads to the trailhead. Follow the trail directly up
the hill until you reach some famous pictographs drawn onto
a large boulder. Archaeologists believe the ancient drawings
originated with the Mogollon tribe, and were probably
augmented by the Apaches about 900 years later. The trail on
Council Rocks Mesa winds through a series of balanced
boulders and tremendous rock formations.
Tweed Manor
One of the many historical oddities
that seem to be littered throughout the American West is the
story of “Boss" Tweed. William Marcy Tweed, of the infamous
Tammany Hall political organization in New York, embezzled
$30 million from the city coffers in the late 19th century.
He got away with it initially and was rumored to have moved
to the Dragoons to hide out and live the good life. He built
a large adobe dwelling (reputed to contain 15 rooms, each
one with a fireplace) before he was eventually caught and
returned to New York to stand trial. The adobe remains of
this house make for interesting history and possibly a few
ghost town shots. |
