Reef Townsite Campground

Show on map (520) 378-0311

This high mountain campground, once the mining town of Reef, offers 16 campsites, as well as a reservable group site. That remote outpost got its name from the nearby Carr Reef, a tall band of quartzite-bearing cliffs that form the Huachuca Mountains’ dramatic eastern front. Mining activity along the Reef began during the last few years of the nineteenth century and proceeded in fits and starts all the way into the 1950s.

The property occupied by the mines and the town was returned to public ownership in 1970, and in 1988, the Forest Service constructed a campground on the townsite. A number of picnic tables and tent pads were placed within the visible outlines of old cabin foundations.

Many relics of Reef’s mining history, including the remains of the town’s old water system and miscellaneous features, are still visible in and around the campground. Evidence of old mining digs and foundations for an ore mill provide points of interest along a three-quarter-mile interpretive trail which begins and ends at the northeastern end of the campground.

Garbage bins available. Black bears in area.

Fees

Single site: $15. With Golden Age/Access or Interagency Senior/Access pass $7.50. Payable with cash or check.

Rules

Trailers limited to 12 feet and less. Longer trailers and motor homes cannot negotiate the switchbacks on Carr Canyon Road. No utility hookups. Pets need to beon a leash at all times. Pack and saddle stock are not permitted in campground or picnic area. Properly licensed motorbikes may be used only for entering or leaving campgrounds. Limit 2 vehicles and 10 persons per site. 14 day stay limit.

Directions

From Tucson, Arizona: drive east on I-10 to exit 302 to State Route 90. Drive south 25 miles through Sierra Vista. Proceed 8 miles south of Sierra Vista on State Route 92 and turn west onto Carr Canyon Road/Forest Road 368.