About Upper Hospital Flat Group Site
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. 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…
- Fees: This site is now first come, first serve and is fee-free.
- Season: April 15 – November 14
- Managed by: Coronado National Forest, FS
- Where: 10 mi southwest of Swift Trail Junction, AZ · 32.66694, -109.87444
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: May–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Mar.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Hospital Flat | ATV road | 0.1 mi | 0.3 mi |
| Big Creek | Hiking | 0.1 mi | 1.1 mi |
| Treasure Park | ATV road | 0.2 mi | 1.0 mi |
| Grant Hill Loop | Hiking | 0.2 mi | 3.6 mi |
| Grant Hill Loop A | Hiking | 0.3 mi | 1.1 mi |
| Cunningham Loop | Hiking | 0.5 mi | 7.5 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
AT&T 4G · T-Mobile 5G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way shows rich detail, horizon to horizon.
Class 2 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Propane: 14.4 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.Camps nearby
- Treasure Park - East 0.3 mi
- Treasure Park – Group Use Areas 0.4 mi
- Shannon Campground 1.1 mi
- Cunningham Campground 1.4 mi
- Snow Flat Dispersed Camping Area 1.5 mi
- Lower Twilight Group Site 3.2 mi