Details: Trip Leader: Please email the leader by May 1 to confirm. Meet: 9:15 AM on Friday morning, May 23, in the parking lot near Einstein Brothers Bagel Shop on the SE corner of 48th Street and Ray Road, just west of I-10. We will try to get away about 9:30. We have about a four-hour drive ahead of us and should arrive at the monument by about 2:30. Have lunch in Willcox @ about 12:30, pick up gas and any other things. There is no gas or services in the Chiricahua National Monument. For those of you leaving at different times, please let me know when you are leaving, so I will know when to expect you at the campground. No cars may be left at Einstein Brothers. Drive: From Phoenix, take Interstate-10 east past Tucson. Get off at the Willcox exit (#340) and go south on Arizona Route 186 for about 33 miles to the Chiricahua National Monument entrance, about 33 miles southeast of Willcox and 240 miles from Phoenix. Cost: There is now a $5 per person (yes, that’s per person, not per vehicle) entrance fee to enter the park. See below for additional campground fees. Exploring Chiricahua National Monument is exploring a fantasy world of extraordinary rock sculptures that were created by the forces of nature over millions of years. Called the "Land of the Standing-Up Rocks" by Chiricahua Apaches and later the "Wonderland of Rocks" by early pioneers, this picturesque northwest corner of the Chiricahua Mountains harbors towering rock spires, massive stone columns, and balanced rocks weighing hundreds of tons that perch delicately on small pedestals. Where hundreds of these rocks occur together, such as in the Heart of Rocks (insert above), the landscape appears as a rugged badlands. Campground: We currently have a reservation at the Bonita Canyon Group Campsite, which sits at an elevation of 5,400', for the nights of May 23 and 24, 2008. The campsite can hold a maximum of 24 people and 5 vehicles. We need a minimum of 8 people to keep the group site. Camping fees are $3 per person, per night for the group site. Additional cars can park in another lot, and we can shuttle people to the campsite. Additional individual campsites are available at the campground on a first come, first serve basis and cannot be reserved. The group site is limited to tents only. RV’s and tent trailers will need to be assigned to the individual sites. These sites are $12 per night and can accommodate up to 8 people, 2 vehicles, and 2 tents. There are no hookups for RV’s, but a gray water dump station is located near the restrooms. Restrooms have running water. As in most parks now, ground fires are not permitted. Fires will be limited to the cooking grills provided. We will need to bring our own firewood and charcoal, as wood gathering is not permitted. Dogs are permitted in the campground, but not on the Echo Canyon trail, but must be leashed at all times. Scenic Drive: Climbing gradually through oak, juniper and pine forests, Bonita Canyon Drive winds 8 miles to the mountains’ crest and Massai Point. The overlook gives commanding views of the park, desert valleys beyond, and the landmark peaks of Sugarloaf Mountain and Cochise Head. As you drive back, stop at the roadside pullouts to see rock formations, other geologic features, and exhibits. Hikes: Friday: After we have lunch and get settled in at the campsite, and if we have enough time left, we can work up a good dinner appetite by hiking Sugarloaf Lookout Trail. This is a relatively easy 1.9-mile loop hike, with about a 500' elevation change, which will give us a great sneak preview of what to expect on Saturday’s hike. This is the highest point (7300') for a very long distance, so the view should be spectacular. This hike which will give us our best view of Cochise Head, one of the most prominent landmarks in the Chiricahuas and a unique profile of the legendary Chiricahua Apache leader, Chief Cochise. Saturday: This being our only full day in the Chiricahuas, we will use most of it to take in the breathtaking Heart of Rocks Trail, a spectacular hike that will introduce the first-time Chiricahua visitor to the very best scenery and the most unique rock formations found anywhere in the Chiricahuas. Length: 10 miles. Level of difficulty: Moderate (1,600' EC). We will begin at the Echo Canyon (6780') parking area, which is at the end of the 8-mile scenic drive. The trail descends through Echo Canyon to Hailstone Trail, which we use to cross over to the cool pine and fir forests. We will continue to the trail junction with the Inspiration Point (7000') trail for lunch. After lunch we continue on the main trail to just beyond Big Balanced Rock (and the end of the forest) for a short side trip (0.9 mile loop) into the actual Heart of Rocks area, with excellent views of the Totem Pole, Big Balanced Rock, Pinnacle Balanced Rock, Camel’s Head, Thor’s Hammer, Punch & Judy, and many other well-known rock features. The return trip will be made via Sarah Deming Canyon continuing though Rhyolite Canyon, with a short walk from the ranger station (5400') back to our camp site. We will then use one of the vehicles we left at the camp site to retrieve the vehicles we left at Echo canyon. An alternate trail (5 miles) that is all downhill is Echo Canyon, Rhyolite Canyon, with a short walk from the ranger station (5400') back to our camp site. For those not up to the 10 mile hike on Saturday: There are several shorter trials in the area. Bonita Creek Loop is 0.2 mile RT, Bonita Creek Trail is 1 mile RT, Faraway Ranch Historic Trail is 2.4 miles RT, Rhyolite Canyon Trail is 3 miles RT, and Sugarloaf Mountain Trail is 1.8 miles RT. There is also the option of a guided tour of Faraway Ranch, not far from the campground. Sunday: Sunday will be an optional day. For those who wish to pack up and leave for an early start back to the Phoenix area, please feel free to do so. For those who would like to see more while in the area, there are several options available. There is always more hiking, but for those who have had enough hiking for a while (which will probably be most of us after Saturday’s hike), there is a very interesting guided tour of the nearby Faraway Ranch, which gives an excellent insight into the life and times of some of the early day pioneers in the Chiricahuas and the many day to day challenges and hardships they faced. If you missed any of the scenic overlooks along Bonita Canyon Drive, this would be a good opportunity to see those. Bisbee is also near by for mine tours and shopping. Tombstone’s rose bush will probability be in bloom and if you have not seen it, you should. It the size of a medium tree. Accommodations In The Willcox Area:
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updated February 7, 2008 |