Dragoon Mountain Ranch near St. David

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by observer53

The OP was looking for something more than Google provided. Also, this is an old thread.... But, others are apparently looking for info about the area, too.

All they asked for is information, which is what was provided. If they wanted more specific information they would have asked.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by observer53

The OP was looking for something more than Google provided. Also, this is an old thread.... But, others are apparently looking for info about the area, too.

I am the (author of) the OP and I am still looking for more info. I guess a trip to AZ should be in the cards for me this summer.

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by ognend

I am the (author of) the OP and I am still looking for more info. I guess a trip to AZ should be in the cards for me this summer.

What sort of info are you looking for?

[ognend]

Originally Posted by KarmaPhx

What sort of info are you looking for?

For example, how deep are the wells in the area? I see properties now listed for $50K+. That sounds attractive but if a well is $20K then it makes a difference. Also, how many lots have been purchased out of the whole available list (20%, 50%..?). How is the road between DMR and Tucson? How long does it take to get there? How close are medical facilities (I am not old but anyone can get stung by a scorpion or have a heart attack or fall off a horse). How safe is the riding in the surrounding areas? Are there drug or human smuggling gangs that use corridors around DMR or in the parks/mountains in the vicinity that I could potentially run into while riding my horse?

Those were the "hard fact" questions. Now, some of the soft ones that come to mind are how bad is the summer heat? Can I still ride 365 days a year? How green is it in the area and how long does it stay green? What is the make-up of the people who bought the properties at DMR? Retired mostly? Or are there any professionals? How many live there year round if at all?

Thanks!

[Phxguy]

Isn't this the area where that 7.0 earthquake in the 1880's epicenter was? The one the did severe damage in Tuscon and other neighboring towns?

[ChiiChi]

I live there. Moderator cut: not allowed, read TOS . We do have an active HOA, thank goodness.

[keninaz]

Originally Posted by Phxguy

Isn't this the area where that 7.0 earthquake in the 1880's epicenter was? The one the did severe damage in Tuscon and other neighboring towns?

You are correct. But earthquakes are very abnormal for AZ in general.
We lived in the Saint David area for a little while. My wife was born in Tombstone and raised on a ranch near St. David.
The area you are speaking of is not for me, but you may like it. It's too hot and windy for me and it's kind of in the middle of nowhere.
And just my own opinion I would not live anywhere that an HOA of any kind existed. Too many problems with busy bodies changing rules and deciding who is right and wrong. Been there and done that.

[bmbranno]

Hi! My husband and I purchased up here on the ranch nearly five years ago. We are blue collar people, so yeah, working folks. Many up here are retired...comfortably. We still work to pay the mortgage. So you'll get nothing less than the absolute truth from us. This is more of an upper crust community. Not really what we had anticipated. We happened upon a great little setup of a 2011 ranch home with two barns. Being active farmer/ranchers dealing with cattle, goats, horses, chickens, and growing our own veggies we thought this was the place to be. The house was previously owned and built by a veterinarian. Nicely built, lots of beautiful perks, in-ground pool, self watering grassy yard, beautiful irrigated rose bushes, amazing brick five stall barn and a 21' tall huge hay barn along with tons of turnouts, the entire 38 acres fenced with a view to die for of the mountains, Sierra Vista, the Huachucas, the Mule Mountains, and of course the amazing Dragoon Mountains with Cochise Stronghold nearly in our backyard. Yes, breathtaking. We had lived in Tucson for 30 years prior to this move. We are 66, and as my husband says, "Living the dream!" But, with the good comes the bad. Knowing AZ as well as we do we had to be sure during monsoon season that we could access this mountain. To get here there is an 8 mile one way switch back dirt road. It does get graded, but can be a booger sometimes due to crossing washes. The entire ranch is composed of dirt roads, but (again, there's that but) there are 3 different H.O.A.s (or P.O.A.s) in this community. It is 16,000 acres and much has yet to be prepared for sale. We did not know when we jumped onto this amazing place that an independent P.O.A. controls it. Please keep in mind the word 'control' as that seems to be a big thing specifically in our area. Let's just say, you don't have as much privacy as anticipated. We were told the H.O.A.s were not a problem. But ours was, over dogs. We have heard of others who have left for the same reason, but over horses. This place was previously ranch land. Cattle grazed it. What better place to farm or ranch, right? I do know we are one of only maybe a couple of families up here that do farm/homestead. Most just want the house and view, despite having 40 acres at their disposal. Anything you choose to build, paint, solar...must be taken by the "Control Committee" for pre-approval prior to building. They will make you take it down if you don't. Even if you choose to repaint your home the exact same color, it still requires their blessing. Also, be smart and post 'No Trespassing' signs, not for the immigrants or anyone else, but for your H.O.A.s wandering eyes. Weather is far colder than we anticipated. We have touched single digits every winter and the teens are a normal. Winds are miserable up here and wastes almost our entire winter months. We should know as we're out feeding livestock in it. Rain is meager! We expected the opposite due to the high grasses, but it is the Chihuahuan Desert. Little to no cacti, lots of Yucca plants, some ocotillo, and sadly, no saguaros (we brought our own up). Each location has it's own well or you put one in. 750' down. That's big bucks, around $30,000 to put one in (we put one in at our Tucson location at 750' deep). Summers are pretty darn hot, but we do get more outside time here in the summer than we did in Tucson. It runs 8 to 10 degrees cooler up here in the summer compared to Tucson, but the winters are bitterly cold. Yes, we get snow. Not often, but we do. We are at around a 4,600' elevation. Fire is the biggest concern here due to the lush dry grasses. They are tinder and go fast in a blaze. Usually the lightening strikes during the monsoon season ignites at least one fire a year up here. That is a big problem for folks with livestock and lots of dogs. Be sure to have an extra horse trailer for emergencies. This is a gated community of two gates to pass through before officially entering. Folks are spread out. Nights are heavenly and peaceful. The neighbors can't see you which is a huge plus! We see, on the average, mid-nineties and sometimes touch the hundreds in the summer. We have a fall season to die for. The change of colors along the San Pedro river below are stunning! We have great historic old West sites to visit, from the amazing Chiricahua Mountains, to Ft. Bowie, to Fairbanks, to Tombstone, including many untraveled pristine desert locations. This is a Jeep lover's haven to delight in, which we do. Directly off the backside of the ranch is the National Forest region full of saplings, Pines, Oaks, Birch, Cottonwoods, and seasonal running streams. It's ranched, so watch for the cows. Hunters enjoy this area. On the ranch ATVs, dirt bikes, and hunting are not permitted. But there are some big timber rattlers and yes, if you must shoot to protect yourself, many do. This is a horseman's paradise. You can ride for miles and not see a single vehicle or hear a sound. We enjoy that as well. Nobody will be knocking on your door to borrow a cup of sugar! St. David, below, is a very small but lovely town with amazing greenery and vast ponds in every front yard. Benson is still a Cowboy town, very small scale. Same with Willcox, Bisbee, Tombstone, Dragoon, and other tiny old west towns. If you like the good ol' boys, this is the place for you. There is internet, but we happen to be the ONLY place with the worst possible location for it, so we crawl. We are waiting on the fiber optic cable that the local phone company promised to put in (I hope it's soon). Directv services the area. Plenty of towers to connect for phone service. Options here are Wi-fi, Verizon, or broadband. It all depends on where you build. Rainfall is terrible. It is incredibly dry and the dust content is ridiculous. Plan on adding a humidifier once settled. Heat pumps take all the moisture out, what little there is. If you're a clean freak, good luck. There is dust even on the days when there's no wind. Your only repairmen or service facilities for housework, etc. come from Sierra Vista or Tucson. We are about an hour and 45 minutes away from south Tucson, and 45 minutes from Sierra Vista. No Costco, no Trader Joes or any of the city frivolities. Bare bones up here. You want organic then plan on growing your own. Even farmer's markets are unavailable except in Sierra Vista. Benson has a Walmart, Safeway, Wendy's, and soon, a Burger King and a Jack-in-the-box (we're so excited). Fine dining is only in Tucson or Sierra Vista. There are a couple of local mom and pop restaurants, some Mexican Food outlets, local pizza joints, but nothing traditional beyond a Subway. There is a good medical connection with hospital, dental providers, and various personnel to take care of the older clients and senior citizens. Benson is a snowbird holdout, so lots of traffic at times. I hope this gives everyone a better idea about this secreted location. There are more good things to appreciate here than bad, other than the nosy H.O.A. and frigid winters. The views really are impressive and the best asset, so we'll stick around a while longer!

[recycled]

^^^^ hey there new member, you dug up a 12 year old thread about Dragoon Mtn Ranch! Anyone that previously posted is likely long gone from this site. Nonetheless, I actually read your long, long paragraph about living in the Dragoon Mtn area.

I suggest using paragraphs to break up the subjects you are trying to write about - it makes reading things much easier!

In mid-January, I took a day trip from my apartment in the east side of Tucson to Cochise Stronghold, just south of your place. It was a mild weekday for January, no wind, and turned out nice for a picnic at Cochise Stronghold and a walk around the short nature trail. It is a gem of a place, and there were only two other people there. If you are looking for extreme solitude where the only sounds come from nature, this is the place.

Your description of the remote situation at Dragoon Mtn is not an exaggeration, not one bit. That was on my mind on the drive into Cochise Stronghold. It took about 1 hour 40 minutes from my east Tucson location, so your drive times match mine. Your description of the mountain view is also not overstated - the surrounding mountain terrain and long distance views are stunning.