Half Moon Ranch

Coronado National Forest — hiking

Location: DOUGLAS, AZ, AZ

Price: From $150 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (52 reviews)

Season: May through October

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.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 g

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Electric Hookups, Camp Host, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/half-moon-ranch to be notified when sites open up.

Half Moon Ranch offers a dramatic canyon setting in the Dragoon Mountains with excellent opportunities for rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Google reviews average 4.5/5 stars, with campers praising the beautiful landscape and comfortable accommodations.

Wildlife alert: White-tailed Deer common in area. Watch for Northern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, and Coachwhip. Birds include Painted Redstart, Five-striped Sparrow, Mexican Jay, and Red-tailed Hawk.

Insider tips for Half Moon Ranch: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand Only 1 tent site available; verify availability before traveling Approximately 1.5 hours east of Tucson via I-10 Exit 318 and Dragoon Road

Skip Half Moon Ranch if: You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites. You require year-round access — seasonal operations May through October only. Traveling outside peak season — verify facilities are operational.

Best time to visit Half Moon Ranch: May-October — Official operating season for the campground.

Nearby campgrounds: Shaw House (Pearce, AZ), Bonita Canyon Campground (Willcox, AZ), Saguaro National Park Wilderness Permits (TUCSON, AZ), Reef Townsite Group Area (Hereford, AZ).

Cell Phone Coverage at Half Moon Ranch

Cell signal at Half Moon Ranch (DOUGLAS, AZ): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Coronado National Forest — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Half Moon Ranch

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DOUGLAS, AZ, AZ★ 4.4 (52 reviews)From $150/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

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.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.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
ToiletsFlush toilets
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic TablesFirewood for Sale
Family & Pets
Electric Hookups

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites✕ You require year-round access — seasonal operations May through October only✕ Traveling outside peak season — verify facilities are operational

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand

Only 1 tent site available; verify availability before traveling

Approximately 1.5 hours east of Tucson via I-10 Exit 318 and Dragoon Road

Best: May-October

Official operating season for the campground

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: White-tailed Deer common in area. Watch for Northern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, and Coachwhip. Birds include Painted Redstart, Five-striped Sparrow, Mexican Jay, and Red-tailed Hawk.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(520) 364-3468· Coronado National Forest
Getting there →

From Tucson: Take I-10 east to Exit #318 (Dragoon Road). Turn right onto Dragoon Road and travel for approximately 10 miles through the village of Dragoon to the Cochise Stronghold Road. Turn right on Cochise Stronghold Road and travel for approximately 6 miles to Ironwood Road. The paved road dead ends at Ironwood Road. Turn right, and travel for approximately 3 miles to the first creek crossing. The entrance to the Half Moon Ranch is on the left just beyond the crossing.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Coronado National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Coronado National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Half Moon Ranch cost per night?+
Half Moon Ranch costs $150 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Half Moon Ranch open?+
Half Moon Ranch is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Half Moon Ranch have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Half Moon Ranch?+
Half Moon Ranch is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Half Moon Ranch?+
Half Moon Ranch is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Half Moon Ranch?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Half Moon Ranch is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Half Moon Ranch open, and what are check-in times?+
Half Moon Ranch is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$150 /night★ 4.4 (52)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Half Moon Ranch cost per night?+
What season is Half Moon Ranch open?+
Does Half Moon Ranch have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Shaw House

Pearce, AZ

From $150/night

Bonita Canyon Campground

Willcox, AZ

From $25/night

Saguaro National Park Wilderness Permits

TUCSON, AZ

From $8/night

Reef Townsite Group Area

Hereford, AZ

From $45/night

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