Chiricahua National Monument

A long time ago (some years) my husband and I went to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.  While we were there, we went on some ranger guided tours.  On one of those tours we met a young couple that recommended that we check out Chiricahua National Monument.  Since that fateful day, years ago, I have always wanted to go.  However, it is in a very out-of-the-way place; two hours from our current location.  There is absolutely nothing around it; no gas stations, no food, only two places to get water in the park, not even a town for more than 40 miles.  Sheesh!  Well, we finally got a chance to go and it was spectacular.

"The Chiricahua Mountain Range is an inactive volcanic range twenty miles wide and forty miles long...Tucked deep into these steep, forested valleys and beneath the craggy peaks are the remains of violent geological activity that continued for many millions of years—the pinnacles, columns, spires and balanced rocks of Chiricahua National Monument. The Apaches called this place 'The Land of Standing-Up Rocks', a fitting name for an extraordinary rock wonderland...The rock formations at Chiricahua National Monument were carved by ice and water from layers of rhyolite, which was originally ash blown out during the Turkey Creek Volcano eruption 27 million years ago (from the website).

Here follows the pictures from our trip.  I took about 200 pictures so count yourself lucky that I didn't include each one.  As I wandered around and among the formations I was constantly in awe.  Every view seemed different from the one before.  The terrain changed from forest to standing rock to desert.  It was amazing and the weather was perfect.  

We met some deer when we were visiting the small family cemetery on the grounds.  There are about six family graves from the family of the first settlers.  

Rhyolite formations.  There are a lot of pictures of these because they are awesome.

We were driving the 8 mile drive when we saw this mountain valley and had to stop.

We got to the end of the 8 mile drive and looked on a sea of formations. 

I thought these were cool because you could see the mountain ridges the formations followed.

After lunch we went on a 3 mile hike.  I was tired of looking at the formations from afar: I wanted to be among them.  They were very impressive.  

The views were still good as we hiked.

We hiked the Echo Canyon trail which began at the top of a canyon and included a hike down and back up the other side of the canyon.  These fire-damaged trees were at the bottom of the canyon.  During the summer there is a small trickle that runs through the canyon which is probably very pretty.  The fire occurred in 2011 and the damage was everywhere but the forest will prevail.

Coming out of the canyon.

Here I am at the end of the trail.  It was a great hike and we were exhausted by the end of it. 

We left at 7:15 in the morning and left the park at 4:30 in the afternoon.  It was about a twelve hour day trip but it was totally worth it.  That being said, I probably wouldn't plan to make a trip back there unless I happened to be driving by (which will never happen since there is absolutely nothing out there).  I can finally knock one thing off my bucket list...that always feels good.