Hospital Flat is so named because in the 1880’s it served as a site for a field hospital for ailing soldiers from Fort Grant. That frontier outpost is located along Grant Creek on the south slope of the Pinaleños. The restorative powers of this cool mountain meadow, carpeted with wildflowers and traversed by a small creek, were sufficiently notable that it also became a summer retreat for officers and their families trying to escape the heat of their desert outpost. Fort Grant was closed in 1905 and now serves as an Arizona State Prison Facility. Hospital Flat still serves as a popular refuge for forest recreationists who come to its pleasant surroundings for much the same reason as did those soldiers.
Nearby Activities
- Auto touring
- Camping
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Picnicking
- Visitor center
- Wildlife viewing
Directions
From Safford drive south 8 miles on US 191 to AZ 366. Turn right (southwest) onto 366 and drive 23.3 miles to the campground entrance on the left side of the road. Accessible from April 15 to November 14, weather permitting.
GPS Coordinates
Latitude 32° 39′ 59.4000″ N
Longitude 109° 52′ 30.3600″ W