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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Half Moon Ranch

Forest Service campground in Coronado National Forest, Cochise County, Arizona. 4,730 feet. 17.1 miles from Tombstone.

Managed by
Forest Service Coronado National Forest
Elevation
4,730 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Reservations
First come, first served Claim a site when you arrive. Recreation.gov lists it for Scan and Pay, so the fee can be paid from its app at the campground
County
Cochise County

Overview

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.

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.

Facilities

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. The Forest Service is unable to provide firewood at this time. Please note that the indoor fireplace is not maintained for use.

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. Although electricity is available, it is recommended that guests bring an additional light source in case of emergencies.

A barn and corrals are located to the east of the main house. There is a covered storage area for hay as well. Up to six horses/mules are permitted in the corrals, and feed must be certified weed-free.

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.

Nearby Attractions

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.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • birding
  • camping
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • mountain biking
  • museum
  • rock climbing
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Half Moon Ranch

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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