After gathering my gear and talking with some guy camping, I hit the trail. We followed the Crest Trail south, contouring past Flys Peak, coming to a meadow at Round Park, then contoured around smaller peaks before coming to Cima Park ("Park" is used in these cases to refer to saddles along the range crest). There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. First Visit, February 2000: I was here in January to hike Chiricahua Peak, intending to hike the Crest Trail from Rustler Park. I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. Tuff hoodoos in Chiricahua National Monument (photo by que city), Images The ArizonaMountains Gazetteer I stayed 15 minutes at the top. The Chiricahua Mountains are an uplifted structural block of the Basin and Range. After a mile, the trail came to a spring and remnants of an old pump station. If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. Click to find out more! The weather was breezy but nice, with temperaturess around 50. I eased the truck down the road and from Rustler Park, we drove down to the Chiricahua National Monument. Chiricahua Peak Via Mormon Canyon Trail. At the top, the trail began a short but steep series of switchbacks. Chiricahua Peak is easy to climb, with a few possible starting points ranging from half-day hikes to longer overnighters. 1) is east-southeast of Tucson, Ariz., in the Chiricahua Moun tains. Teammates: The high point in the Chiricahua Mountains - Chiricahua Peak - is 9,795 feet (2,986 meters) above sea level. The views at the named peak were better than at the highpoint, with views straight into La Barge . However, it may not be the fastest. From our hotel in Willcox, we followed State Route AZ-186 for 35 miles southeast toward the Chiricahua National Monument, then right (south) another 14 miles up the Pinery Canyon Road toward Onion Saddle and Rustler Park (FR-42 and FR-42D). It was $3 to park at the Rustler Park TH in November 2003, or $10 to camp. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a12b096ed270e36 This trail is great for hiking and running, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Since you're in the area, definitely spend a day in the Chiricahua National Monument. It is flat for a few hundred yards, then swings left, where a sign mentions the distance to the peak as 5 miles. Parts were nice, parts had downed trees and branches obstructing the way, and all of it was covered under a heavy mat of pine needles, cones and leaves. I met with a couple of hikers at Point 8,700, the only people I saw the whole day on the route. Of note is that perhaps the last remaining jaguar in the United States is found here, a male named Sombra by wildlife officials. Three hundred and seventy-five avian species have been recorded from the Chiricahua Mountains; some are largely Mexican species for which southern Arizona is the northern limits of their ranges. The Chiricahua sky island rises about . The creek itself had running water down low, fed by springs. We spent a little more time here, trying to see things from various points around the summit area. It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. Prominence: 661 feet I decided to follow the Crest Trail (signed) north to the saddle between Chiricahua and Anita Peaks, elevation 9,500 feet. After gathering my gear and talking with some guy camping, I hit the trail. The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. At a Glance General Information Directions: From Tucson, take I-10 east 81 miles. It is flat for a few hundred yards, then swings left, where a sign mentions the distance to the peak as 5 miles. The benchmark's elevation is listed as 9,795 feet, which is probably a mistake. Sugarloaf Peak A hike up Chiricahua will give you the county highpoint of Cochise County and one of the 57 "Ultra" prominent peaks in the lower-48 states, with over 5,000 . There were also many standing dead trees, and they creaked in the slight breeze. It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. These relics span the period from 150 BCE 1450. We spent a little more time here, trying to see things from various points around the summit area. The day was clear and brilliant, with 200-mile views in some directions, or five-foot views into the trees. Flys Peak On the Crest Trail a view of Flys Peak with large tracts of burned trees from the 1994 fire (2015-04-28). Learn more about Faraway Ranch. Trees down everywhere, trail is washed out in a few places. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. Most of the band was relocated to the San Carlos Reservation about 100 miles to the north, but a renegade faction lead by Geronimo fought a guerrilla war during 1882-1886 until he was caught and sent into internal exile. [13], The Chiricahua Mountains are a bio-diverse area which is composed of numerous sky islands. I had a choiceloop south then east and approach the summit from the southeast, or loop north. Second Visit, November 2003: and I planned to hike another Arizona county highpoint while the weather state-wide remained mild. Past the campgrounds and trailheads at Rustler Park, we drove to the guard station buildings and found the gate to a lesser road leading to Long Park. Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. Since the wildfire that went thru here years ago, the area is pretty devastated. Gain: 500 feet If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. Anita park is depressing. For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. After hiking the steep switchbacks, the trail converged with the upper Mormon trail, meeting at an elevation of 8,700 feet. We hiked this trail this past June, and it is definitely the shortest route to the top of Chiricahua Peak. The hike down was quick, although the loose rocks were more treacherous as I moved downhill. Conditions: Sunny and cool After gathering my gear and talking with some guy camping, I hit the trail. Not hot takes on history, culture, geopolitics, politics, and occasional ghost stories. LoJ Download the park's bird checklist for your visit. LoJ We chose to approach the peak via the Crest Trail, with Rustler Park as our first choice but also keeping our options open depending on road conditions and other factors. Still a few downed trunks here and there but way less than before. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. We drove out to our hotel in Willcox the day before, and enjoyed some authentic Mexican food for our pre-hike dinner that night. There are other sites in Turkey Creek and along Rucker Canyon Road. 10766 E Secret Canyon Rd, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118. We met another group back at my truck at Long Park. Enjoy this 8.6-mile out-and-back trail near Rodeo, New Mexico. There is one stretch of this, once you climb out of the canyon and traverse along the first big switchback, that is back into old forest like you expect from Southern Arizona's island ranges. In the breeze, I grew chilled quickly, and happy to have summitted, I started down. View of the Chiricahua Mountains from the Painted Pony Resort in Rodeo, NM. Tourism in Southern Africa is synonymous with the wildlife safari. From our hotel in Willcox, we followed State Route AZ-186 for 35 miles southeast toward the Chiricahua National Monument, then right (south) another 14 miles up the Pinery Canyon Road toward Onion Saddle and Rustler Park (FR-42 and FR-42D). After hiking the steep switchbacks, the trail converged with the upper Mormon trail, meeting at an elevation of 8,700 feet. Led at first by Chief Cochise (for whom the county is named), and after Cochise's death, by Geronimo, the Apache, numbering just a few hundred, fought vigorously and remained at large until 1886, when Geronimo was captured. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. These natural features, preserved in the Chiricahua National Monument, are composed of Rhyolite Canyon Tuff. I was back home just in time to catch The Simpsons on TV. A large fire from a couple years ago had defoliated much of this part of the mountain and the burn scars were still evident. mining, farming, etc. Chiricahua is about 120 miles east of the major city of Tucson, which has good air service. Two possibilities: Rustler Park (north approach): In Willcox on Interstate-10, take exit 340 south through town and continue south and east on AZ-186 which will lead to the monument. Going up and over them was often impossible. The mountains contain Precambrian basement rocks, Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks around a caldera complex formed by volcanic eruptions and intrusions 35-25 million years ago. The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest. The best times to visit this trail are March through November. For example, the Gain: 3,300 feet in 2000, 700 feet in 2003 [10][11] The last major eruption, 27 million years ago, created the Turkey Creek Caldera and laid down 2,000 feet (610m) of volcanic ash which fused into welded rhyolite tuff. The trail begins at the end of the Sycamore campsites off a spur from Turkey Creek Road. NEVER WEAR SHORTS! The road requires high clearance and 4wd is recommended. We suited up and got things in order, starting the hike at 9:10 a.m. The summit team There were also many standing dead trees, and they creaked in the slight breeze. There are also extensive stands of aspen on the north slope. Read more to find out how. Elevation: 7,310 feet I don't know which is best, but I can tell you the best views I found were on the Crest Trail south of the peak. Vehicles longer than 24 feet (RV or vehicle + trailer) are NOT permitted on the scenic drive beyond the campground. Prominence: 661 feet For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. Spanning 12,025 acres in southern Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument is the result of the eruption of Turkey Creek Volcano millions of years ago; as the ash cooled, it formed rhyolite layers that eroded . The hike starts within the Chiricahua National Monument so obey any rules there but the actual peak lies outside the Monument; see map below. Rock pinnacles are the result of the erosion of compacted volcanic ash from the eruption of an ancient volcano just south of the park. We hiked up the easy grades, took a breakfast break, and followed the trail past Anita Springs and directly up to the summit, 3.5 miles and 2 hours after starting, in exquisite weather. You can now make campground reservations online. The story begins in the earliest days of European settlement in Arizona the late 17th century, when Spanish missionaries from Mexico and Santa Fe began to push into the Sonoran Desert, then a. Southeast Arizona, and Chiricahua in particular, is a premier birding area of the country. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. Second Visit, November 2003: and I planned to hike another Arizona county highpoint while the weather state-wide remained mild. [1], As with the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains, the peak was formed as the result of a violent volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago.[4]. View more homes. See campground regulations and map. It grows in three Sky Island mountain ranges, scattered locations in Texas, and in Mexico. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. From our hotel in Willcox, we followed State Route AZ-186 for 35 miles southeast toward the Chiricahua National Monument, then right (south) another 14 miles up the Pinery Canyon Road toward Onion Saddle and Rustler Park (FR-42 and FR-42D). I followed the same route as I had come up. We chose to approach the peak via the Crest Trail, with Rustler Park as our first choice but also keeping our options open depending on road conditions and other factors. The tallest and most prominent peak is Chiricahua Peak at 9,750 feet (2,972 m) tall with 5,134 feet (1,565 m) of prominence. Scrambling through hundreds of trees on their sides is quite difficult, the tangle of logs and branches nearly impenetrable. The hike itself wasn't bad. It was hunting season and we came upon a father and son sitting along the trail, rifles on their laps. Each are one acre. I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. This cavern, set in a woodland about 30 minutes outside of Huntsville, is a local favorite for photographers and cavers, but what is less known is that day hikers can access its huge walk-in. I didn't have any plans, so I decided to go back to the Chiricahua Range on a whim. Soaptree yucca and century plant are also common. The trailhead's elevation is approximately 6,400 feet. MM BH Pass . Parts were nice, parts had downed trees and branches obstructing the way, and all of it was covered under a heavy mat of pine needles, cones and leaves. The benchmark's elevation is listed as 9,795 feet, which is probably a mistake. Summer could be too hot even at this elevation and one would have to deal with frequent thunderstorms. On these massive logs on these massive logs I planned to hike another Arizona County highpoint while weather... 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