Huachuca Mountains
Huachuca Mountains
The Huachuca Mountains are in southeastern Arizona, part of the Coronado National Forest in Cochise County. They’re about 70 miles south-southeast of Tucson and near Sierra Vista. The range is roughly 38 miles long (north to south) and 34 miles wide (east to west), covering about 755 square miles in total.
Highest and notable peaks
- Miller Peak is the highest, at 9,466 feet (2,885 meters).
- Carr Peak is the second highest, at 9,200 feet (2,804 meters).
- The base of the range starts around 3,934 feet (1,199 meters).
What’s growing there
- Vegetation varies by elevation: desert scrub and grasses at the low end, oak woodlands in the mid elevations, and ponderosa pine and Apache pine at the highest spots.
- The area is known for birds, including hummingbirds and many warblers, and it’s home to plants first identified in this region.
People and land use
- The mountains are managed mainly by the U.S. Forest Service (Coronado National Forest), with about 20% of the land used by Fort Huachuca and the rest mostly private.
- Sierra Vista is the main nearby town (about 44,000 people in 2010).
Location and nearby features
- The range extends near the Mexico–United States border and reaches into Sonora, Mexico. Coronado National Memorial sits at the southeastern edge and includes Montezuma Pass, a historic entry point used by Coronado in 1540.
Getting around and sights
- There are about 50 trails, with the trails starting from Ash Canyon, Miller Canyon, Carr Canyon, Ramsey Canyon, Montezuma Pass, and more.
- The Crest Trail (11.5 miles) connects Montezuma Pass and Fort Huachuca. The area features high summits, deep canyons, and scenic drives, and many trails lead into the Miller Peak Wilderness.
Events affecting the area
- The mountains have faced litter problems and border barrier efforts. Construction of a barrier using shipping containers on Forest Service land drew criticism from ecologists because of potential harm to endangered species like jaguars and ocelots. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit, and many expect the situation to be resolved after political leadership changes, with plans to remove the containers.
Origin of the name
- The name Huachuca comes from a Spanish name for a nearby Pima village. The Coronado National Memorial borders the southeastern edge of the range.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:35 (CET).