"Camping in Carr Canyon" Top 5 Page for this destination Sierra Vista Things to Do Tip by TinKan

Reef Townsite campground is a high mountain campground area and is located on a site that was once occupied by the old mining town of Reef. Reef was a remote outpost that 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 1950’s. The property occupied by the mines and the town was returned to public ownership in 1970 when the last mine was closed and the owner sold the property to the government. 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. In addition to the historic information, the views along that trail are well worth a visit.

Directions: Take 92 east out of Sierra Vista and turn right up Carr Canyon road all the way to the top about 7 miles.