- Situated within the Coronado National Forest, it is famous as the traditional stronghold of the Chiricahua Apache ... from the high vantage point, the Apaches had excellent views of the valleys on either side of the mountains ... they could literally see Army troops coming two days before they arrived ... the angular peaks and labyrinth of canyons were ideally suited for the guerrilla tactics used by the Apaches
- The Cochise-Howard Treaty, October 1872 ... the site served as the meeting place between the legendary Apache leader Cochise and US General Oliver Otis Howard ... they negotiated a peace agreement that briefly established the Chiricahua Apache Reservation in southeastern Arizona
- Evidence of human habitation of this area dates back over 1,000 years ,,, rhe Mogollon people originally occupied the area, followed by the Apache ... dozens of pictographs adorn boulders and overhangs ... archaeologists believe the original pictographs were created by the Mogollon people nearly 1,000 years ago and were later augmented by the Apaches
- The site also features numerous metates (grinding holes in the rock) used for processing corn, seeds, and nuts
Map: Council Rocks Interpretive Trailhead