Chiricahua National Monument

Go here. Fill up your gas tank first, and bring along some food and beverage. Get your cameras ready; you'll seen fantastic landscape, mountainside, rock formations, and views rarely paralleled. There is a visitor center, but no other services (yes, handicap-accessible restrooms). You'll go very slowly up one of several VERY LONG GRADES. At convenient points, there are lookouts, including the very top. There are several trails. Occasionally, there is cell service. Leave No Trace is the policy; you'll see why. It's pristine, and has amazing rock formations, and an interesting history. Yes, it's a drive, and yes, the nearest gas/diesel is 40mi away-- one way. Plan your trip and you'll have great fun. The vistas are inspiring.

This is my favorite national monument by far! It's truly otherworldly - I've never seen anything like it. In some ways, it's even more impressive than the Grand Canyon. It's also AZ's best kept secret which means no crowds. It is more primitive than a national park. There is running water at the visitor center and a handful of snacks. However, no real food or drink available. It's about 30 miles to the nearest restaurant - so it's a bring your own food and water type of trip. There is virtually no cell reception in our surrounding the monument. This means that you need to know directions to get there and for leaving as you will not have reception to map your way in/out for a few miles. We hiked the Echo Canyon Loop. This hike is appropriately rated moderate and is 3.2 miles with a 557ft gain. Going counter clockwise is a must. You hike steeply into the canyon through the hoodoos and grottos. It feels like an alien planet. Once you've reached the bottom, the ascent is not as steep. It takes most people 1.5 hours, but we took our time and completed it in 2 hours and 45 minutes. This is my new favorite hike and I can't wait to go back!!

Amazing hidden gem in Arizona! Lots of great hikes to choose from. The weather in the Southwest is fantastic at this national monument.

National Parks and Monuments invariably garner five stars from me. Chiricahua is no exception.- Wonderful park full of hoodoos. Very cool.- Nice visitor center. - If you're not able to hike, there's a good road taking you to the top where you'll be afforded great views of the park and surrounding area.

Chiricahua National Monument is a hidden gem as it is absolutely gorgeous, but didn't seem to have many visitors. Essentially, there was a volcanic eruption and with time and erosion, there are many cool-looking natural rock spires and formations.The Echo Canyon Loop (3.2mi) allows you to get up close and personal with the spires. It took us 1.5 hrs to hike this. If you go counter-clockwise you see the spires first, and then go to the less scenic area at the end to the parking lot. There was a fair amount of shade, but make sure to bring water!Massai Point Overlook is an area that you can drive to, park, and look around without much hiking needed. There is a small trail to an elevated area and covered shelter with some exhibits, but the view from the parking lot is plenty.The visitor center gives more information about the natural features of the area as well as the fauna and flora.

This review is for Echo Canyon Loop which was a ~3.2 miles round trip that took ~2 hours to complete.Extremely cold and windy! Rocky with some inclines. Stunning rock formations from beginning to end!Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/EwHjPu2PLpw

I can't believe this place exists in Arizona. What a cool hidden gem! Chiricahua National Monument is located around 30 miles southeast of Willcox. The whole area is a result of a volcanic eruption that happened millions of years ago. Chiricahua is known for its many stone columns called hoodoos. A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock formed by erosion. These are the same rock formations that you see in Bryce Canyon Park in Utah. Once you enter the monument and pass the visitor center, the main road is about an 8 mile drive and ends at Massai Point. Along this scenic drive are many pullouts you can stop at and a number of hiking trails. I highly suggest grabbing a paper map at the visitor center as there is hardly any Wi-Fi in the area. I also suggest driving all the way to Massai Point. The views are amazing and worth the drive over. If you want to camp, Bonita Canyon Campground is near the entrance. It has 25 sites. For hiking, there are some easy nature trails near the visitor center. I did the Echo Canyon Trailhead at Massai Point. The hike itself is easy to moderate and the views are incredible. If you want to do more longer and difficult hikes, the Ed Riggs / Mushroom Rock / Balanced Rock trails to either Inspiration Point or Heart of Rocks is a good one. Or do Lower Rhyolite Canyon / Sarah Deming trails to Heart of Rocks from the visitor center. Both will get you deep into the canyon and close to some cool rock formations.A bill was just recently passed to make Chiricahua Arizona's fourth National Park.

This is one of my favorite places in the world. The sights are breathtaking. The hiking is fantastic. If you get a chance, ride the bus to the top and hike back down to the visitor center. The best thing about Chiricahua is that there are no crowds. The staff is super friendly too.

Arizona's best kept secret! Came here on a Monday morning. Hiked for 5 1/2 hours and only saw 3 other people the whole time. This place has stunning views, lots of wildlife, and is very peaceful. We started at the echo canyon parking, went down Ed Riggs trail to mushroom rock trail, inspiration point, big balanced rock, heart of loops and then back the same way to the car. The entire hike was about 8 miles. There are bathrooms at the trailheads throughout the park. The trails are well maintained and obvious where the trail is. The trails are also well marked although I don't think the miles listed on them are super accurate (unless my phone isn't). A little out of the way, but definitely worth the drive!

I arrived early in the morning and there was no one there. It was a quiet drive to the end of the curvy road that takes you to the top of Chiricahua for a dramatic view of the organ pipe rock formations.At this time of year, turkey vultures fly in groups overhead looking down for the next meal.Fortunately, Chiricahua still doesn't seem to have been ruined by Instagram crowds. I'm sure it's just a matter of time. For now, enjoy.