UPPER HOSPITAL FLAT GROUP SITE

Overview Upper Hospital Flat is a great place for groups to escape the summer heat of surrounding deserts and retreat to a scenic meadow in the Pinaleño Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The area is known for camping, scenic driving, picnicking, birding, wildlife viewing, hiking, mountain biking and history. In the 1880s, the campground served as the site for a field hospital for ailing soldiers from nearby Fort Grant, hence its name.

The restorative powers of this cool, high-elevation location also attracted officers and their families seeking a summer refuge from desert heat. Today, Hospital Flat serves as popular getaway for outdoor enthusiasts and campers. Recreation The campground lies along the Swift Trail Scenic Drive, which takes visitors from the Sonoran Desert at 2,900 feet to alpine meadows and forest on the 9,000+ foot ridges of the Pinaleño Range.

Because of its diverse habitat, the area is well-known for birding and wildlife watching. 75-mile nature trail that gives interpretive information about the meadow and its plant and animal inhabitants. The Swift Trail also provides access to a number of hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking trails, along with several other campgrounds that invite you for an afternoon picnic.

A trip up to Rigg’s Lake, stocked with trout by Arizona Game & Fish, or to the Columbine Visitors Center could make a worth-while day trip as well. Facilities Upper Hospital Flat can accommodate a group of up to 50 people. Several first-come, first-served individual sites are located nearby in the Hospital Flat Campground (must pay separately).

The group site is equipped with a picnic table, parking area and campfire ring with a grill. Dead-and-down firewood may be collected in and around the campsite. Note: There are no toilets on site.

One portable/self-contained toilet is required for every 15 people.