The Huachuca Mountains are a small but rugged range located in the far southeastern corner of Arizona (USA), extending from south of Benson to just across the Mexican border. Although not widely known outside of the region, they have been inhabited for thousands of years, with the earliest signs of human habitation dating to the Clovis era (about 13,000 years ago).

First appearing on Spanish maps in the 16th century, the origin of the name ‘Huachuca’ is unclear. According to popular belief, it is an Apache word meaning ‘thunder mountain’ or ‘place of thunder’; recent scholarship however suggests the name is derived from a former Pima settlement located in the northern foothills of the range. Regardless of the etymology, the dramatic summer thunderstorms which drench the mountains in July and August make the popular theory especially fitting.

This is an ongoing project documenting the intersection of the natural and human history of the mountains and the immediate surrounding area.