VIEWPOINT: Chiricahua National Monument
A top-tier monument that has features worthy of a national park.
It’s rare to come across true hidden gems these days, but Chiricahua National Monument might just be one of them—for now. A legitimate candidate for promotion to “National Park” status, Chiricahua and its rocky pinnacles are still relatively unknown despite being arguably more interesting than some current national parks.
NATURE: MIGHTY FINE
A Pinnacle-Covered Mountain Oasis
Chiricahua is home to one of the more interesting landscapes we’ve encountered on our travels. Because of its location between two deserts and the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, it home to several biomes and can change drastically within one mile of hiking. And at high elevation, it’s covered in rock towers that can resemble giant rubber ducks individually or a million goosebumps all together.
EXPERIENCE: MIGHTY FINE
Perfect at its Current Popularity
Chiricahua is fairly small and doesn’t have a lot of parking space. Its one campground is tight and difficult to navigate with a moderately sized trailer. All of this is fine—as long as Chiricahua stays a national monument. If (or when) it becomes a national park, it’ll need an infrastructure upgrade to avoid being overrun with crowds.
For now, it’s not popular enough for its shortcomings to feel like a true hindrance. The camping’s enjoyable, and the trail we hiked was beautifully lacking in crowds. In all, Chiricahua is a place to visit now, while it’s still equipped to handle its visitor load.
VISITING: EASY
A Good Overnight Trip From Tucson, Ariz.
Most national monuments are on the smaller side, making them easy single-day visits. Chiricahua is no different. You can see all of the park’s most notable features in one day hike, and it’s close enough to Tucson to make for a decent weekend trip.
STUPIDITY INDEX
The Stupid May Get Hurt
Dehydration is always a threat in desert parks, and Chiricahua is no exception. Some of its long trails could lead The Stupid to trouble if they don’t fill up on water at the visitor center, and the pinnacles could lure them into a climbing accident.
CATSBY’S TAKE
It Was Fine
Apparently there were wild turkeys roaming the campground, but I didn’t get up to see them.