It was fun to return to Arizona’s Chiricahua NM last week and hike our favorite loop trail in the Wonderland of Rocks again. There are two parking lots at the top of Bonita Canyon Drive- a scenic 8-mile road that takes you to the top of the park: Massi Point and Echo Canyon. We like to hike the Big Loop, a strenuous 9-mile loop that includes all the rock formations and overlooks, but you can shorten that to 7.3 miles by hiking the Heart of Rocks Loop, which doesn’t include the spur trails. For a shorter but still spectacular hike, do the Echo Canyon Loop, a 3.4 mile loop through some of the most amazing rock formations. Or simply hike a 1/2 mile from the Echo Canyon parking area to the Echo Canyon Grottoes. You’ll find not only adventure and scenery here- this park is steeped in history. It’s surreal to walk in the footsteps of all the people who once lived here: Prehistoric peoples, Apaches, Buffalo Soldiers, young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps, ranchers, and homesteaders. Best time to visit is fall, winter and spring, although it can snow in the winter, and March and April tend to be very busy. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Tucson, so we either camp in the park campground or stay in nearby Wilcox. Have you been to Chiricahua National Monument yet?
#visitarizona #chiricahua