Chiricahua Ntnl Monument, Echo Canyon hike

After spending the night on the side of the road 15 miles north of Chiricahua National Monument and taking care of work through out the morning, I was able to roll into the park by 1pm. I was quickly blown away by the simple fact of trees, something Arizona does not have much of. This was a true forest in the middle of the desert mountains. It was nice to see some pine again, it has been a while.

After getting some advice from the Rangers at the visitors station and dropping the trailer in a parking area, I was off for the 8-mile scenic drive to Massai Point which overlooks… well, everything to the East and West along with what makes this area a National Monument; the rocks. A quick jaunt along the Nature Trail at 6800 ft altitude gave some spectacular photographs and excited me for the Echo Canyon trail suggested by the Rangers.

Echo Canyon loop  is 3 miles of trail with a loss and gain of 700 ft in altitude. The truly amazing part of this trail was the first half where the trail winds in and among these mammoth rock formations. I felt like a little kid, able to climb anything in sight and explore the cracks and crevasses all around.  Every corner was another amazing view so the hiking took some time as I took aim with the camera at least every few steps I took.

I eventually stopped and ate a quick lunch and watched a pair of Ravens swooping high into their nest at the top of a monolith to feed their young, only to swoop back down, circling and squawking as they dropped back down into the valley to find more food for the chicks. I waited for some time for their return, but I can only assume they were still hunting as I packed up and went further into Echo Canyon.

At the bottom of the canyon, the trail quickly changed from a rocky treasure to a full fledged woody wilderness. I felt as if I instantly changed from hiking in the Rocky Mtn National Park  to Yosemite in a matter of a single bend in the trail. Pine trees and streams filled the sights and smells… such a contrast to the desert rocks just above. Another 1/4 mile brought me to the scenic pay-off of the trail; the view of the canyon westward into the desert.

The hike back up was fairly uneventful. Tired after hoping around rocks like a pre-teen for 1.5 miles, I put my head down and took the trail step by step back up the hillside to the parking lot. About half way up a few hummingbirds were eager to see who was walking past, and flew to me, just out of arms reach, hovered to inspect me for a brief few seconds only to go back to zipping through the bushes after I bored them.

I must say, this ‘monument’ was more stunning to me then many of the National Parks I have visited. It, just like Great Basin National Park, is a gem of a park flying under the radar of the mass populated parks but are  just as grand and exciting. I hope to return to Chiricahua to spend more than just a few hours of a day. This place truly deserves a few days to hike all 17 miles of trail and view the scenery.