High Point: Chiricahua Peak, 9,759 feet Elevation Change from Base: 5,259 feet Vegetation at Highest Elevations: Douglas-fir-mixed conifer forest; pine forest Easily find land for sale at LANDFLIP.com. Cave Creek Canyon on the east side is home to the American Museum of Natural History Southwest Research Station and the small towns of Portal and Paradise. 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. It was hunting season and we came upon a father and son sitting along the trail, rifles on their laps. 1) is east-southeast of Tucson, Ariz., in the Chiricahua Moun tains. Date: November 9, 2003 The hike down was quick, although the loose rocks were more treacherous as I moved downhill. Chiricahua Peak A view of Chiricahua Peak heading south on the Crest Trail (2015-04-28). a preserved antebellum-era plantation in the country. They had come up the upper Mormon Creek trail and they mentioned there were good views along this route. Second Visit, November 2003: and I planned to hike another Arizona county highpoint while the weather state-wide remained mild. I followed the same route as I had come up. Mormon Ridge Trail and Mormon Canyon Trail Loop. Ecommerce; motivational interviewing spirit. Arizona From here it was a consistently moderate uphill grade along nice wide trail. A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. 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. Categories: 3,343 Albums: 68 Uploaded Media: 557,806 Embedded Media: 720 Comments: 446,104 Disk Usage: 233.1 GB It was hunting season and we came upon a father and son sitting along the trail, rifles on their laps. The highest point, Chiricahua Peak, rises 9,759 feet above sea level, approximately 6,000 feet above the As with the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains, the peak was formed as the result of a violent volcanic . LoJ For example, the Date: November 9, 2003 A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. The weather was spectacularbreezy and cool, but not cold. 160.153.246.108 Want to report conditions for this trail? From point 8,700, I proceeded south a half-mile to the Chiricahua Saddle, elevation 9,100 feet. Easily find farms for sale at FARMFLIP.com. The NM features thousands of eroded tuff spires and hoodoos, similar (but different in origin) to those you would see in Utah at Bryce Canyon. Read more. This report is not meant to replace maps, compass, gps and other common sense hiking/navigation items. I took the "lower" one, the one literally in the creekbed (the "upper" one's trailhead is about a half-mile west of the lower's trailhead, but there is no convenient parking for that trailhead). Hike for Your Health! Enjoy this 8.6-mile out-and-back trail near Rodeo, New Mexico. (See also www.roguegeopolitics.com). Hike along the Crest Trail to 9,763-foot Chiricahua Peak, the highest summit in the range and take in sweeping views that include peaks in New Mexico and Mexico. "Chiricahua National Monument Geology Footnotes", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chiricahua_Peak&oldid=1114269427, This page was last edited on 5 October 2022, at 17:10. Rock the Rhyolite Hike for Your Health! Click here for larger-size photo. Map includes a larger scale (1:40,000) inset of the Cave Creek Canyon and Rustler Park areas. 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. [14] Five of the 9 life zones[15] are found in the Chiricahua Mountains. The day was mild but cold, and snow from a recent storm still everywhere. Performance & security by Cloudflare. With this ascent, I had my 11th Arizona County highpoint completed, a task I would finish a few months later. Our "hunt" had been a success. Interestingly enough, the peak does have a little shade as some of the trees were spared right on top. 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. For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. Washes wind through the park and flow when there is a lot of snowmelt or if there is a monsoon. The day was clear and brilliant, with 200-mile views in some directions, or five-foot views into the trees. Small cactus are present in this zone like prickly pear, cholla, barrel and hedgehog cactus. There are two trails that run parallel along the Mormon Creek drainage. After gathering my gear and talking with some guy camping, I hit the trail. Chiricahua Peak is the name of a 9,763 feet (2,976m) peak located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, located about 35 miles (56km) north of the United StatesMexico border. Thankfully, this segment wasn't too long and soon I arrived at the summit, exactly three hours after starting my hike. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. Chiricahua Mountains is a range in Coronado National Forest, Chiricahua Wilderness, Chihuahuan Desert, AZ. The mountains contain Precambrian basement rocks, Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks around a caldera complex formed by volcanic eruptions and intrusions 35-25 million years ago. Web Visit website. 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. This is a 8.8 mile out-and-back hike with 3000 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 3-5 hours to complete. A large fire from a couple years ago had defoliated much of this part of the mountain and the burn scars were still evident. I arrived back to my truck at 2 p.m. Generally, this peak can be climbed about 9 months of the year. There are also extensive stands of aspen on the north slope. 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. I know of no special fees other than the normal campsite fees. Main Chiricahua National Monument has a great variety of trees and shrubs. In the post-colonial era the establishment of so-called 'peaceparks' that straddle the borders of states has come to be seen as a key not only to increasing tourism in the Southern African region, but also to the modernizing of conservation policies and the development of rural economies. It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. It's not super difficult in terms of steepness, nor length. 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. Chiricahua Peak - Cochise County AZ Highpoint Our trip report from 2000 and 2003. Further useful information can be found at the county highpointers website: Cochise County, Arizona, There are many routes up/down this mountain. I was back home just in time to catch The Simpsons on TV. There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. From point 8,700, I proceeded south a half-mile to the Chiricahua Saddle, elevation 9,100 feet. I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. Near the top, a bit of ice, not a big problem. Much of the peak was severely burned in recent times, which creates vast open views across the landscape. (1 ), Chiricahua Peak - Cochise County AZ Highpoint. 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. The Chiricahua Mountains dominate southeast Arizona. After a mile, the trail came to a spring and remnants of an old pump station. Teammates: v Book MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY IN THE mining, farming, etc. 3 Beds. Gain: 500 feet Main We drove out to our hotel in Willcox the day before, and enjoyed some authentic Mexican food for our pre-hike dinner that night. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Cochise County [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. Phone +1 520-824-3560. There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. However, I could readily see some of the nearby peaks such as Anita Peak. I didn't have any plans, so I decided to go back to the Chiricahua Range on a whim. Sugarloaf Peak Only then was the region "safe" for outside settlement. We spent a little more time here, trying to see things from various points around the summit area. I decided to follow the Crest Trail (signed) north to the saddle between Chiricahua and Anita Peaks, elevation 9,500 feet. 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. I decided to follow the Crest Trail (signed) north to the saddle between Chiricahua and Anita Peaks, elevation 9,500 feet. (24), Climber's Log Entries At the time of Spanish colonial contact, the Chiricahua lived in what are now the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Click to find out more! Summer could be too hot even at this elevation and one would have to deal with frequent thunderstorms. (29), Comments Address. In a sunrise ceremony in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks monument, Chiricahua Apache and Piros speak of the importance of place names and tradition. 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. A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. Like my first time here, the top is wooded and blocks most views. The prominant species include manzanita, Arizona Sycamore, alligator juniper, oaks, pines, Arizona cypress, madrone, and acacia. From here it's about 6 miles one way to the peak along the Crest Trail (270).A sub-option at Rustlers Park is to drive another 1.4 miles south along a very rocky road to Long Park, which cuts off nearly 5 miles of r/t hiking and about 1,000 feet of gain. Since you're in the area, definitely spend a day in the Chiricahua National Monument. 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. We returned along the Crest Trail, and while en route back to Long Park we also ascended Paint Rock (9,375 feet . The highest point, Chiricahua Peak, rises 9,759 feet (2,975m) above sea level, approximately 6,000 feet (1,800m) above the surrounding valleys. There is one stretch of this, once you climb out of the canyon and traverse along the first big switchback, that is back into old forest like you expect from Southern Arizona's island ranges. MM BH Pass . These natural features, preserved in the Chiricahua National Monument, are composed of Rhyolite Canyon Tuff. The 8-mile paved scenic drive and 17-miles of day-use hiking trails provide opportunities to discover the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this 12,025 acre site. We drove out to our hotel in Willcox the day before, and enjoyed some authentic Mexican food for our pre-hike dinner that night. For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. From Long Park, we followed a mostly-level trail south for two-thirds of a mile to the Crest Trail (Trail 270). Time: 1 hour A large fire from a couple years ago had defoliated much of this part of the mountain and the burn scars were still evident. 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