Chiricahua National Monument

It was a ranger in Big Bend who told us about Chiricahua National Monument near Willcox, Arizona in the southeastern part of the state. Knowing that legislation has been presented to Congress to change it’s status to a national park, he encouraged us to visit before it gets “discovered”. The park is named for the Chiricahua Apache people, nomadic hunter gatherers who spent their summers in the cooler mountains. Of course we decided to visit in the winter and were treated to the absolutely magical scene of the rhyolite rock pinnacles, dressed in snow. We didn’t feel prepared for any lengthy hikes in the snow but delighted in the driving the eight mile scenic road to the top and hiking the half mile Massai Point Nature Trail. It definitely required that we watched each and every step we took but the views were positively stupendous! We had some great interactions with rangers and volunteers at the Visitor Center as well as with other visitors and took the opportunity to become Park Protectors by joining the WNPA and becoming part of legions of citizens supporting the mission of the incredible national park system that we treasure.