Chiricahua National Monument | December 2021

Chiricahua National Monument was our first stop in the state of Arizona on our winter road trip. It was stunning. The rock formations were so cool and it was a small enough park that we got to see a lot of it during our short stay there.

Chiricahua is located outside of Willcox, AZ and ranges from about 5,000 feet to 7,000 feet above sea level. It was chilly while we were that, that's for sure, but we had the right gear to be warm and cozy overnight in the tent. We camped in the Bonita Canyon Campground, which is the only campground in the park. It was fully booked while we were there so I was glad that I had made reservations in advance! We had the most eerie, still night of camping I think I have ever had in my life. Normally, the sound of the tent flapping, even very lightly, lulls me off to sleep. Here, though, nothing moved. It was so still and so quiet. 

We didn't arrive until after dark so we had to hold off on exploring until the morning. We picked one hike to do since we only had a short amount of time. The Natural Bridge trail was our choice because it was a good length (4.8 miles) and it was listed as being the least used trail in the park. No people? Count me in!

It was a really beautiful hike that takes you up to the top of the canyon, back down the other side, then through the bottom to a viewing point for a natural bridge, carved through the years by water. It was a great hike to start the day and work up our appetite for breakfast!

Before leaving, we drove the 8 mile scenic drive to Massai Point, which was a beautiful overlook but it was fucking cold up there so I snapped a couple pictures and got back into the warmth of the car. 

Chiricahua National Monument was up there at the top of our list of favorites from this trip & we will definitely try to get back again in the future to explore more of what it has to offer!