Coronado National Forest

The Coronado National Forest is a United States National Forest that includes an area of about 1.78 million acres (7,200 km2) spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

Coronado National Forest
Coronado National Forest and Chiricahua Mountains in southern Arizona
Map showing the location of Coronado National Forest
Map showing the location of Coronado National Forest
Location in Arizona
Map showing the location of Coronado National Forest
Map showing the location of Coronado National Forest
Location in United States
LocationArizona and New Mexico, US
Nearest cityTucson, Arizona, US
Coordinates31°59′47″N 110°18′32″W
Area1,780,000 acres (7,200 km2)
EstablishedApril 11, 1902 (1902-04-11)
Governing bodyUS Forest Service
WebsiteCoronado National Forest

It is located in parts of Cochise, Graham, Santa Cruz, Pima, and Pinal Counties in Arizona, and Hidalgo County in New Mexico.

History

In 1902, the land that is now part of Coronado National Forest was included as part of the Santa Rita Forest Reserve. This was transferred to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, and the Coronado National Forest was established in 1908.

During a party in 2017, the Sawmill Fire broke out and went out control. The fire went on for many days. Approximately 47,000 acres (19,000 ha) were burnt. The person behind the fire was an off duty US Border Patrol agent. He was fined and given probation.[1]

The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs constructed a 3,800-foot (1,200 m) length of wall in 2022 on federal and tribal lands near Yuma, without federal permission. The National Forest Supervisor told the state to refrain from placing more shipping containers along the Arizona border with Mexico without obtaining proper authorization.[2] Governor Doug Ducey filed a lawsuit in October against federal agencies that have sought to force the removal of the initial 130 containers used as a wall on the border.[3] Governor-elect Katie Hobbs has stated intention to remove the containers after taking office.[4] The State has agreed to remove the containers starting January 2023.[5]

Administration

The national forest is divided into five ranger districts, which 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 are 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.[6]

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.[6]

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.[6]

Wilderness
Wilderness areas in the Coronado National Forest

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.[7]

  • 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

The public campgrounds located within the Coronado National Forest,[8] most of which require a daily/nightly fee (see Coronado National Forest official website for accurate and current details), are as follows:

Campground Elevation Fee Mountain range
Arcadia 6,700 Yes Pinaleño Mountains
Bathtub 6,300 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Bog Springs 5,200 Yes Santa Rita Mountains
Cochise Stronghold 5,000 Yes Dragoon Mountains
Cunningham 9,000 Yes Pinaleño Mountains
Cypress Park 6,000 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
General Hitchcock 6,000 Yes Santa Catalina Mountains
Gordon Hirabayashi 5,000 Yes Santa Catalina Mountains
Herb Martyr 5,800 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Hospital Flat 9,000 Yes Pinaleño Mountains
Idlewilde 5,000 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
John Hands 5,600 No Chiricahua Mountains
Lakeview
(Parker Cyn Lake)		 5,400 Yes Huachuca Mountains
(Canelo Hills)
Molino Basin 4,500 Yes Santa Catalina Mountains
Peppersauce 4,700 Yes Santa Catalina Mountains
Pinery Canyon 7,000 No Chiricahua Mountains
Ramsey Vista 7,400 Yes Huachuca Mountains
Reef Townsite 7,200 Yes Huachuca Mountains
Riggs Flat 8,600 Yes Pinaleño Mountains
Rose Canyon 7,000 Yes Santa Catalina Mountains
Rucker Forest Camp 6,500 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Rucker Lake 6,300 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Rustler Park 8,500 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Shannon 9,100 Yes Pinaleño Mountains
Soldier Creek 9,300 Yes Pinaleño Mountains
Spencer Canyon 8,000 Yes Santa Catalina Mountains
Stewart 5,100 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Stockton Pass 5,600 No Pinaleño Mountains
Sunny Flat 5,200 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
Sycamore 6,200 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
W Turkey Creek 5,900 Yes Chiricahua Mountains
White Rock 4,000 Yes Tumacacori Mountains

See also

References
  1. Diaz, Andrea (November 28, 2018). "Officials release video from gender reveal party that ignited a 47,000-acre wildfire". CNN.
  2. Loomis, Brandon (December 1, 2022). "Wildlife advocates say Ducey's new border barrier threatens fragile Arizona habitat". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  3. Barchenger, Stacey (October 21, 2022). "'We're not going to remove anything': Ducey sues feds over shipping containers at Arizona border". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  4. del Bosque, Melissa. "Gov. Ducey's Illegal Shipping Container Wall is Worse Than You Can Imagine". www.theborderchronicle.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  5. "Temporary Area Closure to Protect Public Safety During the Removal of Unauthorized Containers". US Forest Service. December 28, 2022.
  6. Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005), National Forests of the United States (PDF), Forest History Society
  7. Coronado National Forest Wilderness
  8. Coronado National Forest - Campground Guide
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