2.8 miles away
Whetstone Mountains
The Whetstone Mountains are a range of mountains in Cochise County, southeastern Arizona. The Opata called the mountains Babocomari, a name still attached to the nearby Babocomari River. The Spanish continued the name as Sierra del Babocomari.

Facts and sources
Place
- Category
- Natural Landmark
- Destination
- Benson
- County
- Cochise County
- State
- Arizona
Visitation
- Annual visits
- Not published
Ranking
- Overall score
- 44.6 / 100
- Visitation score
- No published count
- Popularity score
- 28.4
- Significance score
- 58.0
- Confidence
- medium
Visiting
- Coordinates
- 31.8100, -110.4200
- Last verified
- 2026-08-12
Where it is
Whetstone Mountains is a natural landmark near Benson, in Cochise County. It is one of the natural landmarks in this database, and appears in the statewide ranking of Arizona attractions.
How this ranking was reached
This place scores 44.6 out of 100, at medium confidence. No official visitor count is published for it, so the score rests on public interest and tourism significance, and is capped below the level a measured attraction can reach. The weighting is explained in full on the methodology page.
Note on the data: No official visitor count is published for this attraction.
Sources
- Description: Wikipedia(opens in a new tab), used under CC BY-SA 4.0(opens in a new tab)
- Public interest: Wikimedia pageviews (en.wikipedia, human traffic), 2024
- Coordinates and designations: Wikidata(opens in a new tab)
- County: U.S. Census geography via FCC Area API, resolved from coordinates
Record last verified 2026-08-12.
Nearby attractions
- Named after an early prospector, this canyon has reliable springs and is a good location for avid birders. It makes for a very challenging hike, and a 4WD is necessary to get to the trailhead. A good trail description can be found here. Allow at least 5 hours.
4.1 miles away
Guindani Trail (#398)
Hikers on this steep trail are rewarded with excellent views of the San Pedro Valley, with the Huachuca and Dragoon Mountains in the distance. Although the trail is almost entirely on National Forest Land, the trailhead is located within Kartcher Caverns State Park so an entrance fee is required. Allow 2½-3 hours.4.6 miles away
Iron Springs (Cochise County, Arizona)
Iron Springs is the historical name of a natural spring in the Whetstone Mountains of southeastern Arizona. It is famous for being the site of a confrontation between Wyatt Earp and William "Curly Bill" Brocius on March 24, 1882, which resulted in Brocius' death. The site was then known as Iron Springs, but on later maps the designation is Mescal Springs.
13 miles away
San Pedro Valley Arts & Historical Society
A small museum with displays on local and regional history. There is also a small gift shop selling items made by local artisans.
13 miles away
Contention City
Contention City or Contention is a ghost mining town in Cochise County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It was occupied from the early 1880s through the late 1880s in what was then known as the Arizona Territory.