Day Trip to Chiricahua National Monument

We kicked off our second annual trip to Tucson with a trip to Chiricahua National Monument, which is part of the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona.

Otherwise known as the “Wonderland of Rocks,” this national monument is unlike anything else that you’ll see in the Tucson area–like the towering vertical columns of rock formations.

The Science

The “towers” are made of rhyolite tuff rock, which is volcanic. The the water washes away the soft tuff, these pinnacle rocks are formed. Sometimes they look like they are balancing precariously. Each stack is more stunning the next.

The Drive

Chiricahua National Monument is an easy day trip from Tucson. Located in Wilcox, it took us about two hours to drive from where we were staying at Hotel McCoy. And even though that sounds like a long drive, it was actually very enjoyable and there was a lot of great scenery along the way.

Once your in the park, there is an eight-mile scenic drive that was very lovely. That drive ends at Maasai Point which gives you an unobstructed, 360-degrees view of the mountain range. It was gorgeous!

The Hikes

Hop out of the car and set off to explore the 12,025 acre site and more than 17 miles of trails. Whether you are looking for a short and easy stroll or an all day adventure, Chiricahua National Monument has a hike for everyone.

We started off the day a little late so we didn’t have big plans for a hike while in the park so we just set off on a random trail along the road and roamed aimlessly for awhile. It was a nice way to stretch our legs after the flight and long drive from Phoenix the day prior.

An added bonus: we came across a tarantula!

Overall, Chiricahua reminded us of our time spent in Utah’s Bryce Canyon—which we absolutely loved! But since it is a bit of a drive from Tucson the jury is still out on if we would make that two-hour drive again when we are in town next year.