Chiricahua - it's pronounced "Cheer-i-cow-ah"

The Chiricahua National Monument …. The name has nothing to do with cows that is for sure. What a stunningly beautiful spot in SE Arizona. So far I haven't seen another spot in this part of the state where the forest meets desert in such an impactful way. It was an "oh my gosh" moment for sure.



View as you approach the park

Having arrived at the park we toured the visitor center and decided to continue our drive up to Massai Point…the only problem with this day was the 30-50mph winds that we encountered and stayed with us through our Echo Canyon Grotto hike. At 6870' it would be a bit on the chilly side - even without the wind, but we were not to be deterred. There was even a bit of snow still hanging onto the edges where the Sun could not reach to melt, which always makes my inner child rejoice - it's about the possibility of a snow-ball fight don't you know. Even in Arizona!

Remains of our snowball fight

We arrived too late in the day to complete the 3.3 mi Echo Canyon Loop Hike, although we did manage to get a good 2 mi (round-trip) in before returning to our car. The park is large and has several hikes of varying lengths, trails that were created by the Conservation Corps, Faraway Ranch is located on the grounds and once again our NPS annual pass gave us free entry again. That pass has paid for itself just in the last 6 months.

On a lighter note, upon leaving the Massai Point parking lot we encountered this sign - which caused us both to laugh out loud. The road is narrow, winding, downhill and there is just too much beautiful scenery to go fast...so instead we looked for the "radar" vehicle. At over 6700' we think this was a test!

Radar posting....really?

This is one park we will be spending more time in as we travel back and forth to SE Arizona in the future. Enjoy the additional photos to the right.

Cheers! Have a great day and enjoy your life.