Stockton Pass

Named after "Old Man Stockton," a rancher who settled in this area in the 1870s, Stockton Campground lies off the beaten path in the high desert of the Pinaleno Mountains in southeastern Arizona. Groups of up to 30 people can camp here and enjoy hiking, picnicking and wildlife viewing, on a beautiful scenic drive with panoramic views of the mountains. A leisurely drive on SR 266 reveals large cattle ranges, rugged mountain ranges, and broad grasslands dotted with desert plants — a true southwestern experience. The Pass is open year-round, though summer can bring soaring temperatures and muddy rainstorms. The area offers excellent hiking, with trails easily accessed from the campground: the Shake Trail #309 winds through the high desert landscape and begins a climb that continues to the Swift Trail, high in the Pinalenos. The campground's setting is also inviting for an afternoon picnic, with tables set in desert grassland among the occasional oak, manzanita tree, or cactus. Stockton Pass has one group camping area that can be reserved by a single group of up to 30 people at a time. Amenities include vault toilets, several picnic tables, pedestal grills and campfire rings with grills. Bear-proof trash cans are provided to keep visitors and wildlife safe. Several first-come, first-served individual sites are located nearby and paid separately. Dead-and-downed firewood may be collected in and around the campsite. The site encompasses beautiful desert grassland mixed with oak woodlands. Many species of birds and wildlife live in the area, including deer, black bear and mountain lions. Stockton Pass serves as a route over the Pinaleno Mountains into Sulphur Springs Valley; the campground sits at the apex of the pass with good views of the south slopes of some of the range's highest peaks and of the surrounding valleys and mountains. At an elevation of 5,600 feet, temperatures are cooler than the surrounding low deserts in summer but still allow for camping in fall and winter. The Coronado National Forest covers 1.78 million acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, with elevations from 3,000 to 10,720 feet across 12 widely scattered mountain ranges, or "sky islands," that rise dramatically from the desert floor. SR 266 west will take you out to the Galiuro Wilderness, with a variety of additional trails including the West Divide Trail #289 and Powers Garden Trail #96, which lead to the Power's Family Cabin. The Power's family were pioneers who farmed, ranged and mined in Rattlesnake Canyon in the early 1900s until three members were involved in a gunfight with law officers over a gold claim they were working; two escaped, becoming at the time the object of one of the longest manhunts in Arizona's history. SR 266 east brings you back to SR 191, where heading north reaches the town of Safford, approximately an hour's drive away and home to the district Ranger Station, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.