In October 2025, I took a short four-day roadtrip to visit two remote national monuments in southern Arizona. Ecologically, the two places could not have been more different. Read on to join me on my off-the-beaten-path visit to visit these two fascinating Arizona landscapes.
Clicking on the images in this post will enlarge most for a better viewing experience.
Chiricahua National Monument
Chiricahua (cheer-uh-KAH-wuh) National Monument preserves part of a ‘sky island’, an isolated mountain range separated from other mountain ranges by extensive, low-elevation arid plains or desert. Chiricahua’s high-elevation forest provides an ecological refuge for species that cannot survive the heat of the desert.
The Chiricahua Mountains are a 40-mile long, 20-mile wide volcanic sky island in southeastern Arizona that rises abruptly from the desert floor. They are part of the Basin and Range Province of the western U.S. and northern Mexico. The national monument preserves 12,025 acres or 19 square miles of this mountain range. It is known as the “wonderland of rocks” where rocks have eroded into amazing pinnacles from layers of ash deposited by a volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago.
Chiricahua National Monument is located in the very southeastern corner of Arizona with the closest town being Willcox which is 34 miles away.
The name Chiricahua is believed to have come from a native word meaning “mountain of the wild turkey” as the mountains once provided habitat for an abundant population of wild turkeys. This area was the home of a band of nomadic native peoples who became known the Chiricahua Apache after the Chiricahua Mountains. This tribe lived off the land moving with the seasons. They typically spent the winter on the warmer plains of the Southwest and migrated in summer to the cooler mountains. These mountains were referred to by the Apache as “The Land of Standing-Up Rocks”.
This area played an important role in the 24 year Apache war with notable players that included Cochise and Geronomo. The Chiricahua were masters of strike and run warfare, striking in the flatlands and running to the safety of the Chiricahua and nearby Dragoon Mountains.
During the Civil War, the U.S. Army constructed Fort Bowie to protect Apache Spring, a vital water source located in Apache Pass, and to protect travelers, mail coaches and soldiers passing through the area.
The Army abandoned and decommissioned Fort Bowie in 1894, and the NPS preserves its ruins as the Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
Visitors to the site can explore adobe fort ruins, a visitor center with exhibits documenting the war, hike a trail to the post cemetery, the ruins of a Butterfield Stage Station and Apache Spring. The main way you visit this site is via a 3-mile round trip hike. Fort Bowie National Historic Site is located about 25 miles from Chiricahua National Monument, between it and Willcox.
Chiricahua National Monument is a place less visited. In 2025, 70,406 people visited the park. The most popular time for visitation is in the months of March and April when there might be 500-600 people in the monument daily. When I visited in October for two days, I probably only saw a dozen people.
There is not a lot of infrastructure in the monument. The Visitor Center and Museum showcases the wonderful rock work of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Due to a government shutdown, the visitor center was closed during my visit.
Chiricahua is mainly an undisturbed natural landscape of hoodoos, pinnacles, grottos, etc. You can experience the park by driving the scenic drive or on foot. There are about 17 miles of day-use hiking trails that wind through its unique rock formations.
A great introduction to the park is to drive the 8-mile one-way Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive which winds up the valley through rock formations and forests to Massai Point (red route on map below). There are a number of pull-off points from which to view the rock features along the way. Since the scenic drive is an out-and-back route, the pulls-offs are best used on the return drive. The Massai Point overlook at the end of the route provides a 360-degree bird’s eye view of a “wonderland of rocks”, the surrounding valleys and mountains.
Due to the winding, and sometimes narrow, nature of the road, there are vehicular restrictions. Vehicle length is limited on the scenic drive, and trailers are not allowed. There are no large vehicle turnaround possibilities after the Faraway Ranch parking area which is one mile from the park entrance. Vehicles over 29 feet must park at the Faraway parking area, and any trailers must be disconnected there unless camping at the Bonita Canyon Campground. No vehicles longer than 24′ can be parked at the visitor center or driven beyond Faraway. I have included a short video (2 minutes) of a section of the scenic drive if you would like a taste of what you can see along the route. Apologies for the annoying rain drops on the windshield!
I think the best way to experience the park is from the trail. There are a number of trails ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous. During the busy season of March until the middle of April, the park provides a free shuttle on Friday, Saturday and Sunday that runs once daily in the morning from the Faraway Ranch parking lot or the Bonita Canyon Campground to either Massai Point or the Echo Canyon Trailhead. Since there is no return shuttle, you have to hike either 5.7 or 9 miles back down to your vehicle if you choose this option.
The Massai Point Nature Trail is one that anyone of any ability can do. This half-mile trail gives good panoramic views of hoodoo filled scenery. You access this trail at the turn-around point of the scenic drive. This is a trail that should not be missed.
Of the hikes I did, my favorite was the Echo Canyon Loop Trail. This is a 3.4-mile trail that descends 400 feet through spectacular rock formations such as balancing rocks, tunnel-like grottoes, narrow slots, and below towering pinnacles. The trail is classified as moderate with some steep dropoffs and loose, rocky, uneven surfaces. The trail was built using the engineering skills of the CCC. It was a bit steep in a few spots but was perfectly doable by someone of moderate hiking skills.
If you do not want to do the entire Echo Canyon Loop, you can opt for a shorter one mile roundtrip, out-and-back hike to the Echo Canyon Grottos.
You reach the tunnel-like rock formations by hiking half a mile down the Echo Canyon Loop trail. This is a good choice for those who want to experience the rocks but either can’t or do not want to do a more challenging hike.
The Bonita Creek Trail is a short route for those who would prefer a hike having little elevation change.
This out-and-back trail follows the often dry Bonita Creek connecting the Bonita Creek Picnic Area with Faraway Ranch and is 0.5 miles each way. You can extend this hike by adding the Silver Spur Meadow Trail which is another out-and-back trail of 1.2 miles each way. You can often see wildflowers blooming in the meadow and wooded areas along this trail.
This area of the park gives you the best opportunity to see wildlife such as this Coues White-tailed doe.
While hiking on the Bonita Creek Trail, all of a sudden, I saw several question marks cresting the rise that separated me from the dry creek bed. The coatimundis to whom the question mark-shaped tails belonged were as surprised to see me as I was to see them.
White-nosed coatimundi are social members of the raccoon family. Females and juveniles often travel in small bands while males are solitary. Coatis search for insects, snakes, fruits and nuts during the day. They are not nocturnal like raccoons.
They are found in east and southeastern Arizona typically at elevations between 4,500 and 7,500 feet in wooded riparian habitats and in rocky canyons. Coatimundis can be elusive even in areas where there are significant numbers of them. They tend to be shy. When these coatis saw me, they immediately went into flight mode so I had very little photographic opportunity. I was able to get a photo of one that ran up into a tree. After taking a quick shot, I moved away so she could feel safe enough to go rejoin her group.
While walking, the coatimundi’s long semi-prehensile tail is usually carried high above its body in a shape reminiscent of a question mark. I was thrilled to see these interesting animals that are the poster children of the monument.
For those who are interested in history, the Faraway Ranch Historic District is an interesting place to explore.
The story of Faraway Ranch began with two Swedish immigrants, Emma and Neil Erickson, who settled here on a 160-acre homestead in the late 1800s. The homestead was converted into a guest ranching business in 1917.
Emma’s eldest daughter Lillian Erickson Riggs and her husband Ed oversaw expansion of the business into a prominent guest ranch. Ed built the first trails in what is now the monument so guests could experience the unique environment. Lillian and Ed were important figures in support of the legislative effort that created the monument.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge created Chiricahua National Monument for the purpose of preserving and protecting the amazing rock pinnacles found in the area.
As the only lodging for guests anywhere near the monument, Faraway’s guest ranching business steadily grew with increasing tourist visitation after the monument’s creation. After her husband’s death in 1950, Lillian continued to manage the ranch by herself despite having become blind in 1942. The ranch functioned basically as a “dude ranch” giving visitors a wild west type experience.
Guests could participate in a number of activities. They could ride along on cattle round-ups, take horseback riding trips into the monument, or swim in a pool near the corral. Guests were provided luxuries in the main house or could stay in a more primitive cabin setting.
Lillian Riggs closed the guest operation at Faraway Ranch in 1970 at age 82. Faraway remained a working cattle ranch for a time after ceasing guest services. The National Park Service acquired the property in 1979.
Chiricahua is considered to be a haven for birdwatchers. Over 200 different bird species have been documented within the park. The oak trees at Faraway Ranch were a perfect place to watch the antics of a group of acorn woodpeckers.
On March 16, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 6380 known as the Chiricahua National Park Act. This act seeks to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument as Chiricahua National Park. The legislation now moves on to the Senate. If the Senate approves the bill, and it gets a presidential signature, Chiricahua would become Arizona’s fourth national park and the United State’s 64th.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is located in southwestern Arizona along the Mexican border. It protects approximately 515 square miles of the Sonoran Desert and is the only place in the United States where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild. The monument is also home to the Quitobaquito pupfish which is found nowhere else in the world.
Organ Pipe is also a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve providing a haven for plant and animal species adapted to the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. About 95% of the monument is designated a wilderness area.
The park is located about 145 miles southwest of Phoenix. The closest town with tourist conveniences is Ajo about 45 miles north of the monument. The main entrance to the park is on AZ Hwy 85 south of Ajo although there is also a southern entrance five miles north of the Mexican Border.
This monument had been on my bucket list for quite a long time as I love cactus, but it was once considered one of the most dangerous parks in America. Due to its remoteness, it had become a prime area for the smuggling of illicit drugs from Mexico into the United States. In 2002, Kris Eggle, a park law enforcement ranger, was murdered while pursuing drug cartel members within the park boundaries. His death resulted in the closure of most of the monument for over a decade. Today, the park is considered safe for visitation, and the visitor center has been named in Ranger Eggle’s honor. Although the visitor center was closed due to the government shut down when I visited, there was no lack of security personnel in evidence in the southern part of the monument.
The Sonoran Desert is one of the world’s greenest deserts. More than 2,000 species of plants, 300 species of birds and 100 different reptiles and amphibians call this environment home including the monument’s namesake, the Organ Pipe Cactus.
The Organ Pipe is a slow-growing, long-lived, column-shaped cactus resembling the pipes of an organ. Adults can be 20-25 feet tall. Unlike the saguaro cactus that cohabitates in this area and has branches that come out of a trunk high above the ground, the organ pipe has many columnar, ribbed branches that extend from a very short, central trunk. Organ pipes are slow growing at about 2.5 inches per year and can live more than 150 years. These cacti produce funnel-shaped, white to lavender-tinged flowers, which open only at night from May to June leading to edible, bright red, spiny fruits that ripen in early summer. Bats are the primary pollinators of these blooms. As a tropical plant, the organ pipe is very sensitive to freezing. You tend to find them on southern facing slopes in the Ajo Mountains.
The monument is home to 31 species of cactus including the giant saguaro, the universal symbol of the American west, which is very common here.
Another common cactus found in the monument is the teddy bear cholla which is anything but a cuddly teddy bear!
You can explore the monument by hiking on 28 miles of established trails ranging from 0.1 miles to 16 miles roundtrip. If you are going to hike, you must make sure to bring more water than you think you will need and sun protection. There is little to no shade on the trails.
There are two scenic auto routes that allow you to explore the back country, the Ajo Mountain Drive (highlighted in yellow on map above) and the Puerto Blanco Drive loop. This is primarily how I explored the monument.
The Ajo Mountain Drive is a 21-mile loop on a graded, one-way dirt road which takes you through desert washes and into the Ajo Mountains. The drive takes about two hours (unless you stop for lots of photos or to do some hiking.) I spent about four hours with a little hiking along the way.
Although dirt, the road can be driven in any normal passenger car. Vehicles over 25 feet are prohibited on the loop, and trailers are not allowed. The first mile of the road is two-way, but once you pass this point, it becomes one-way so you have to complete the remaining 20 miles. There is no gas near the monument so be sure to fill up in either the hamlet of Why which is 22 miles north of the visitor center or in Lukeview just north of the Mexican border. There is a free Ajo Mountain Drive guide available at the visitor center. Since the visitor center was closed when I visited, I had to use the guide on the NPS App.
The Puerto Blanco Drive loop is a 41-mile route. The north part of the loop is a two-way graded, dirt road driveable by all vehicles for four miles from the visitor center up to the Pinkley Peak Picnic Area. Beyond this point the road becomes a one-way, 4WD-only road. Again the route is limited to vehicles 25-feet or less and no trailers.
South Puerto Blanco Drive is a two-way, graded dirt road that provides access to Quitobaquito Springs 28 miles away (red highlight on the map above). The springs is an oasis in the desert and home to the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish. You can’t drive the loop beyond Quitobaquito as it is a one-way, 4WD-only road going in the wrong direction.
I headed out on the South Puerto Blanco Drive intending to go to Quitobaquito Springs for the pupfish and possibly the Sonoyta Mudturtle. For the first several miles, the road parallels the international border with the main view to the south being the border wall. Unfortunately, my plan to reach the springs was thwarted by a water filled dip in the road remaining from the torrential rains of the day before.
If you would like to take a trip where you can see spectacular scenery while learning a little geology, ecology and history, Chiricahua National Monument is for you. Although you can do the scenic drive and a couple short hikes in one day, I would suggest a two day visit especially if you are staying in Willcox.
If you like desert scenery and wonderful cactus, I think you would enjoy experiencing Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. You can get a very good taste of the monument in a one day visit. I hope to return to visit both monuments again in the future.
If you are coming to visit these monuments, I would suggest adding an additional day to your itinerary for visiting Saguaro National Park near Tucson.