Breathtaking at the top and well worth the effort! We met another group back at my truck at Long Park. I arrived back to my truck at 2 p.m. The trailhead's elevation is approximately 6,400 feet. The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. The systematics and natural history of thirty-eight North American (Canada, USA and Mxico) species of the genus Crematogaster are discussed and the distributions are mapped. I didn't have any plans, so I decided to go back to the Chiricahua Range on a whim. . Chiricahua Peak is the highest peak of the range, but not that obvious from down below. The road requires high clearance and 4wd is recommended. There were also many standing dead trees, and they creaked in the slight breeze. Growing at elevations from around 5000 to over 7000 feet, the habitat transitions from lowland desert scrub to upper elevation pine-fir forests. The range contains 85 named peaks and lies within the Basin and Range Province. Western Apache (. I have climbed the peak twice, in 2000 by myself, and again in 2003. From here it was a consistently moderate uphill grade along nice wide trail. We spent a little more time here, trying to see things from various points around the summit area. Home. From Tucson, proceed east by car on Interstate highway 10 to the small town of Willcox and Arizona highway 186, then follow SR 186 south for 32 miles to SR 181, which leads to the entrance. I decided to follow the Crest Trail (signed) north to the saddle between Chiricahua and Anita Peaks, elevation 9,500 feet. There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. There are miles of hiking trails amid these fascinating rock formations. There were also many standing dead trees, and they creaked in the slight breeze. Then the trail parallelled the creek on the right as one faces uphill. Past the campgrounds and trailheads at Rustler Park, we drove to the guard station buildings and found the gate to a lesser road leading to Long Park. If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. 2.5h up 1.5h down. We met another group back at my truck at Long Park. Cindy Barks. In the breeze, I grew chilled quickly, and happy to have summitted, I started down. The tallest and most prominent peak is Chiricahua Peak at 9,750 feet (2,972 m) tall with 5,134 feet (1,565 m) of prominence. There is a cabin and lookout tower on this peak. News Sports Business Entertainment Lifestyle . Distance: 2 miles With this ascent, I had my 11th Arizona County highpoint completed, a task I would finish a few months later. I can tell the condition used to be pretty good but definitely need more maintenance at this moment. The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. NEVER WEAR SHORTS! The other notable attraction in these mountains is the Chiricahua National Monument, which features thousands of spires and "hoodoos", formed by the erosion of the tuff that resulted from the eruption. Neither I nor the webhost can be held responsible for unfortunate situations that may arise based on these trip reports. Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. I make my way through the burned forest This cavern, set in a woodland about 30 minutes outside of Huntsville, is a local favorite for photographers and cavers, but what is less known is that day hikers can access its huge walk-in. Chiricahua offers a range of day hiking options from easy to strenuous. Gelemenovo. Cochise County Categories: 3,343 Albums: 68 Uploaded Media: 557,806 Embedded Media: 720 Comments: 446,104 Disk Usage: 233.1 GB It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. The Chiricahua Mountains are located in southeast Arizona in Cochise County and the summit, Chiricahua Peak, is the highest point of the county and one of just 57 "Ultra" prominent peaks in the lower-48 states, with over 5,000 feet of prominence above the desert floors. Arizona About Chiricahua Peak is the name of a 9,763 feet (2,976 m) peak located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, located about 35 miles (56 km) north of the United States-Mexico border. Flys Peak On the Crest Trail a view of Flys Peak with large tracts of burned trees from the 1994 fire (2015-04-28). The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. After another three-quarters of a mile, it crossed the creek bed, then paralled up the left side for another 1.5 miles. Not highly recommended due to the obvious, but with some improvement, it could be brought back to a well used trail. I arrived back to my truck at 2 p.m. I was back home just in time to catch The Simpsons on TV. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 6 h 3 min to complete. (3), Additions & Corrections It was hunting season and we came upon a father and son sitting along the trail, rifles on their laps. Willcox It is flat for a few hundred yards, then swings left, where a sign mentions the distance to the peak as 5 miles. The story begins in the earliest days of European settlement in Arizona the late 17th century, when Spanish missionaries from Mexico and Santa Fe began to push into the Sonoran Desert, then a. Web Visit website. First Visit, February 2000: I was here in January to hike Chiricahua Peak, intending to hike the Crest Trail from Rustler Park. The exit took 90 minutes, and our hike had required just 4 hours. Sold 1 Acre See campground regulations and map. Our "hunt" had been a success. It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. earth first! Of note is that perhaps the last remaining jaguar in the United States is found here, a male named Sombra by wildlife officials. There are two trails that run parallel along the Mormon Creek drainage. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. Led at first by Chief Cochise (for whom the county is named), and after Cochise's death, by Geronimo, the Apache, numbering just a few hundred, fought vigorously and remained at large until 1886, when Geronimo was captured. 85643, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. We drove out to our hotel in Willcox the day before, and enjoyed some authentic Mexican food for our pre-hike dinner that night. Not hot takes on history, culture, geopolitics, politics, and occasional ghost stories. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. It was so nice, I laid in the bed of my truck and took a catnap for a half-hour before packing up, changing into dry clothes and proceeding home. . We drove the roads and took a walking tour of Faraway Ranch, the home of the Ericksons, homesteaders whose efforts led to the formation of the Chiricahua National Monument years later. I left home at 4:15 a.m. and arrived to the range by 8:00 a.m. From our hotel in Willcox, we followed State Route AZ-186 for 35 miles southeast toward the Chiricahua National Monument, then right (south) another 14 miles up the Pinery Canyon Road toward Onion Saddle and Rustler Park (FR-42 and FR-42D). For example, the A dichotomous key to the workers is included. The mountains contain Precambrian basement rocks, Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks around a caldera complex formed by volcanic eruptions and intrusions 3525 million years ago. The fort was decommissioned in 1894 and today is just stone foundations and the occasional adobe walls that look like they're melting into the earth. We enjoyed ourselves and it was nice to be back, especially with B.. After about 20 minutes, we started the leisurely hike out, following the same route as we took coming up. Much of the peak was severely burned in recent times, which creates vast open views across the landscape. At the top, the trail began a short but steep series of switchbacks. Chiricahua National Monument has a great variety of trees and shrubs. (from 20 different species), snow geese, and tundra swans during peak season, in November. Please correct me if I'm mistaken. The mountains and the eponymous highpoint get their name from the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians, who lived and roamed these lands for centuries before becoming part of the United States after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. Postal Service in 1982 with a 13 postage stamp that is part of its Great Americans series. I left home at 4:15 a.m. and arrived to the range by 8:00 a.m. There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. The Chiricahua Mountains and other associated ranges, along with Sulphur Springs Valley on the west and the San Simon Valley on the east, form the eastern half of Cochise County in southeast Arizona. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a12b096ed270e36 We chose to approach the peak via the Crest Trail, with Rustler Park as our first choice but also keeping our options open depending on road conditions and other factors. The day was mild but cold, and snow from a recent storm still everywhere. The Chiricahua Peak 7lk -minute quadrangle (fig. However, I could readily see some of the nearby peaks such as Anita Peak. Chiricahua Peak is easy to climb, with a few possible starting points ranging from half-day hikes to longer overnighters. The next day we returned to the Monument and did two hikes: a 3.5-mile loop through the Heart of Rocks and its spectacular rock formations, and a 2-mile hike up Sugarloaf Peak. Another option are the two Mormon Creek routes, which start lower down. There are two trails that run parallel along the Mormon Creek drainage. Lots of trees provide food and shelter for wildlife. Time: 1 hour FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. The highest point, Chiricahua Peak, rises 9,759 feet above sea level, approximately 6,000 feet above the The fort was decommissioned in 1894 and today is just stone foundations and the occasional adobe walls that look like they're melting into the earth. The Chiricahua Mountains dominate southeast Arizona. Forests cover much of the range, and a vast network of trails and camping areas offer multitudes of possibilities for hiking, camping and exploring. I don't know which is best, but I can tell you the best views I found were on the Crest Trail south of the peak. I eased the truck down the road and from Rustler Park, we drove down to the Chiricahua National Monument. The towers can be a hundred+ feet tall, and look like they're going to topple over in a breeze. Most of the band was relocated to the San Carlos Reservation about 100 miles to the north, but a renegade faction lead by Geronimo fought a guerrilla war during 1882-1886 until he was caught and sent into internal exile. But just before the monument entrance, turn right at a signed junction (Pinery Canyon) and then follow a good, if steep, dirt road up into the mountains to the Rustler Park campgrounds. The weather was breezy but nice, with temperaturess around 50. The weather was spectacularbreezy and cool, but not cold. View of the Chiricahua Mountains from the Painted Pony Resort in Rodeo, NM. Chiricahua Peak is easy to climb, with a few possible starting points ranging from half-day hikes to longer overnighters. Nearby homes similar to 10163 E Trailhead -- have recently sold between $350K to $660K at an average of $290 per square foot. The largest of the mines developed in the California district of the Chiricahua Mountains was the Hilltop mine which consisted of 3 interconnected levels totaling 6,098 metres (20,007ft). This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. Rock the Rhyolite Hike for Your Health! Cochise County Then, I met the love of my life, married her, and we came back in November 2003 for another visit, her first time in the range. Numerous peaks above 9,000 feet are found in the range. If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. Distance: 11 miles in 2000, 7 miles in 2003 Photo by Michael Wilson at swbiodiversity.org. Our "hunt" had been a success. Trees down everywhere, trail is washed out in a few places. Chiricahua Peak is the highest peak of the range, but not that obvious from down below. Photo by Graeme Rankine. A "Wonderland of Rocks" is waiting for you to explore at Chiricahua National Monument. I had a choiceloop south then east and approach the summit from the southeast, or loop north. Grasslands and desert cover the base of the range, with ponderosa pine and Douglas fir at the highest elevations. We spent a little more time here, trying to see things from various points around the summit area. The trail begins at the end of the Sycamore campsites off a spur from Turkey Creek Road. Main The mountains and the eponymous highpoint get their name from the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians, who lived and roamed these lands for centuries before becoming part of the United States after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. Chihuahuan desert scrub is characterized by shrubs such as, creosote, whitethorn acacia, sandpaper bush, and tar bush. It was so nice, I laid in the bed of my truck and took a catnap for a half-hour before packing up, changing into dry clothes and proceeding home. Encompassing approximately 1,000 square miles, elevations vary from 4,000 feet in the San Simon Valley to 9,796 feet at the summit of Chiricahua Peak. The next day we returned to the Monument and did two hikes: a 3.5-mile loop through the Heart of Rocks and its spectacular rock formations, and a 2-mile hike up Sugarloaf Peak. A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. I met with a couple of hikers at Point 8,700, the only people I saw the whole day on the route. Easily find farms for sale at FARMFLIP.com. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Chiricahua Mountains Interestingly enough, the peak does have a little shade as some of the trees were spared right on top. At just over a mile high in elevation, Chiricahua National Monument enjoys fairly mild weather year round. Enjoy this 8.6-mile out-and-back trail near Rodeo, New Mexico. Teammates: Main Explore away. Gelemenovo is a village in Pazardzhik Municipality, Pazardzhik Province, southern Bulgaria. Conditions: Sunny and cool Second Visit, November 2003: and I planned to hike another Arizona county highpoint while the weather state-wide remained mild. Thunderstorms are very common in the summer and this range lies pretty much in the center of the typical monsoon pattern. Going up and over them was often impossible. 12174 E Chiricahua Pl, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118. . Parts of the trail were completely obscured, but periodic cairns alerted me to the route. We chose to approach the peak via the Crest Trail, with Rustler Park as our first choice but also keeping our options open depending on road conditions and other factors. I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. Chiricahua Peak is the name of a 9,763 feet (2,976 m) peak located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, located about 35 miles (56 km) north of the United States-Mexico border. Date: November 9, 2003 (c) 2000 - 2019 Scott Surgent. Originally a nomadic people, they faced severe pressures from settlers and an expansionist U.S. government in the second half of the 19th century. View back along the Silver Peak Trail as the trail heads northwest. With this ascent, I had my 11th Arizona County highpoint completed, a task I would finish a few months later. Chiricahua Peak Trail Hard 4.6 (22) Coronado National Forest Photos (125) Directions Print/PDF map Length 15.0 miElevation gain 4,130 ftRoute type Loop Explore this 15.0-mile loop trail near Rodeo, New Mexico. I eased the truck down the road and from Rustler Park, we drove down to the Chiricahua National Monument. (29), Comments It is flat for a few hundred yards, then swings left, where a sign mentions the distance to the peak as 5 miles. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. After another three-quarters of a mile, it crossed the creek bed, then paralled up the left side for another 1.5 miles. Learn about people who have called Chiricahua home over the years. The Chiricahua Mountains dominate southeast Arizona. The highest portions of the range are rounded summits while lower down, the range is surrounded by interesting gardens of hoodoos and spires, best exemplified by the Chiricahua National Monument, an area of fascinating rock spires and hoodoos, and well worth a visit. This includes views across the Basin and Range to Mount Lemmon, Mount Graham, and Mount Wrightson. The home is currently under renovation, but the grounds are available for self-guided visits. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. We followed the Crest Trail south, contouring past Flys Peak, coming to a meadow at Round Park, then contoured around smaller peaks before coming to Cima Park ("Park" is used in these cases to refer to saddles along the range crest). The highest point, Chiricahua Peak, rises 9,759 feet (2,975m) above sea level, approximately 6,000 feet (1,800m) above the surrounding valleys. Each are one acre. The Chiricahua Peak quadrangle includes the crest of the Chiricahua Mountains and offers unusual ecologic diversity that ranges from Sonoran desert through . Chiricahua Peak, Arizona Prominence: 5139 ft, 1567 m Elevation: 9759 feet, 2975 meters True Isolation: 64.19 mi, 103.31 km Other Photos Views on the Crest Trail just south of Chiricahua Pek (2019-11-15). It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. Conditions: Sunny and cool   Mileage from I-10: about 35.The roads are mostly passable by passenger vehicles except in the wettest weather.There are other possibilities to approach this peak as well. Chiricahua Peak is easy to climb, with a few possible starting points ranging from half-day hikes to longer overnighters. I arrived back to my truck at 2 p.m. After gathering my gear and talking with some guy camping, I hit the trail. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. The exit took 90 minutes, and our hike had required just 4 hours. The range is a result of a massive volcanic event, the Turkey Creek eruption, from 27 million years ago. There were also many standing dead trees, and they creaked in the slight breeze. The hike down was quick, although the loose rocks were more treacherous as I moved downhill. Date: November 9, 2003 Hike a combined 5 mi / 8 km in the park and earn a commemorative pin from a park ranger. So here it was, a month later. Chiricahua Peak is the name of a 9,763 feet (2,976 m) peak located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, located about 35 miles (56 km) north of the United States-Mexico border. Main Anita park is depressing. After a mile, the trail came to a spring and remnants of an old pump station. Tons of downed trees and leaning trees, & dead trees everywhere. 1/4 to 2/3 of the trail, spikes and thorns, many fallen trees, a big problem. As you enter the monument from the west, you will drive through grasslands with over 50 species of grasses, as well as many cacti and succulent species of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. The hike down was quick, although the loose rocks were more treacherous as I moved downhill. The weather was spectacularbreezy and cool, but not cold. This home is located at 10163 E Trailhead in Gold Canyon, AZ and zip code 85118 in the Peralta Trails neighborhood. The benchmark's elevation is listed as 9,795 feet, which is probably a mistake. First Visit, February 2000: I was here in January to hike Chiricahua Peak, intending to hike the Crest Trail from Rustler Park. Water was flowing well at Ojo spring sept 2020. For entertainment purposes only. We enjoyed ourselves and it was nice to be back, especially with B.. After about 20 minutes, we started the leisurely hike out, following the same route as we took coming up. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. We hiked up the easy grades, took a breakfast break, and followed the trail past Anita Springs and directly up to the summit, 3.5 miles and 2 hours after starting, in exquisite weather. The blast sent prodigious amounts of ash into the air. Min. A collection of horror stories, urban legends, and the occult from Arizonas unexamined past. [10][11] The last major eruption, 27 million years ago, created the Turkey Creek Caldera and laid down 2,000 feet (610m) of volcanic ash which fused into welded rhyolite tuff. Where AZ-181 makes a hard bend left, stay straight, now on dirt Turkey Creek Road. last edited: 10/10/16 published references on the geology of the Chiricahua Mountains *Badger, S.S., 1911, The Chiricahua Mountains: Engr. Chiricahua National Monument. There are also extensive stands of aspen on the north slope. I had a choiceloop south then east and approach the summit from the southeast, or loop north. It was $3 to park at the Rustler Park TH in November 2003, or $10 to camp. Ndee biyti'. ) My. The benchmark's elevation is listed as 9,795 feet, which is probably a mistake. The other notable attraction in these mountains is the Chiricahua National Monument, which features thousands of spires and "hoodoos", formed by the erosion of the tuff that resulted from the eruption. Only after the occasional snow or in the dead of summer should one use caution. Geography Geology Ecology It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. Scrambling through hundreds of trees on their sides is quite difficult, the tangle of logs and branches nearly impenetrable. I didn't have any plans, so I decided to go back to the Chiricahua Range on a whim. Four distinct seasons. Thankfully, this segment wasn't too long and soon I arrived at the summit, exactly three hours after starting my hike. We suited up and got things in order, starting the hike at 9:10 a.m. For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. I stayed 15 minutes at the top. Roger Weller, geology instructor. Three hundred and seventy-five avian species have been recorded from the Chiricahua Mountains; some are largely Mexican species for which southern Arizona is the northern limits of their ranges. Thankfully, this segment wasn't too long and soon I arrived at the summit, exactly three hours after starting my hike. Thankfully, this segment wasn't too long and soon I arrived at the summit, exactly three hours after starting my hike. Discover 3,104 listings of farms for sale over 5 acres, under $100K. For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. Many pines at the top, no overlook view at the peak. Small cactus are present in this zone like prickly pear, cholla, barrel and hedgehog cactus. Want to report conditions for this trail? 1) is east-southeast of Tucson, Ariz., in the Chiricahua Moun tains. I followed Turkey Creek Road into the range to the Mormon Creek trailhead area. The summit team From our hotel in Willcox, we followed State Route AZ-186 for 35 miles southeast toward the Chiricahua National Monument, then right (south) another 14 miles up the Pinery Canyon Road toward Onion Saddle and Rustler Park (FR-42 and FR-42D). Another option are the two Mormon Creek routes, which start lower down. The Chiricahua Mountains are an uplifted structural block of the Basin and Range. The weather was spectacularbreezy and cool, but not cold. Much of current-day Cochise County had been formed into an Indian Reservation, but new settlers thought the area could be better put to use, e.g. AZ P1K The northwest end of the Chiricahua mountains continue as the Dos Cabezas Mountains beyond Apache Pass and the Fort Bowie National Historic Site. They had come up the upper Mormon Creek trail and they mentioned there were good views along this route. A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. I hiked a mile in soft snow, but the snow was up to my hips. wellerr@cochise.edu. We hiked up the easy grades, took a breakfast break, and followed the trail past Anita Springs and directly up to the summit, 3.5 miles and 2 hours after starting, in exquisite weather. 2:30 Ascent; 1:30 Descent. We followed the Crest Trail south, contouring past Flys Peak, coming to a meadow at Round Park, then contoured around smaller peaks before coming to Cima Park ("Park" is used in these cases to refer to saddles along the range crest). Date: November 9, 2003 From our hotel in Willcox, we followed State Route AZ-186 for 35 miles southeast toward the Chiricahua National Monument, then right (south) another 14 miles up the Pinery Canyon Road toward Onion Saddle and Rustler Park (FR-42 and FR-42D). Two possibilities: Rustler Park (north approach): In Willcox on Interstate-10, take exit 340 south through town and continue south and east on AZ-186 which will lead to the monument. We drove the roads and took a walking tour of Faraway Ranch, the home of the Ericksons, homesteaders whose efforts led to the formation of the Chiricahua National Monument years later. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest.

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