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. Conditions (physical and legal) change over time! Prominence: 661 feet 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. The highest point, Chiricahua Peak, rises 9,759 feet above sea level, approximately 6,000 feet above the 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). Distance: 2 miles The range is a result of a massive volcanic event, the Turkey Creek eruption, from 27 million years ago. 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). The road requires high clearance and 4wd is recommended. Photo: Edal, CC BY-SA 3.0. I know of no special fees other than the normal campsite fees. See my trip report on PeakBagger: https://peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=1279987, View Chiricahua Peak Image Gallery - 24 Images. I left home at 4:15 a.m. and arrived to the range by 8:00 a.m. It is located at just a kilometre to the north of Trakiya motorway. 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. [7], More recently, the Chiricahuas have fallen into use by people smugglers and drug cartels, who position lookouts on their peaks to warn of Border Patrol activities.[8][9]. Then the trail parallelled the creek on the right as one faces uphill. Elevation: 7,310 feet Grasslands and desert cover the base of the range, with ponderosa pine and Douglas fir at the highest elevations. 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. [13], The Chiricahua Mountains are a bio-diverse area which is composed of numerous sky islands. 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. 160.153.246.108 A hike up Chiricahua will give you the county highpoint of Cochise County and one of the 57 "Ultra" prominent peaks in the lower-48 states, with over 5,000 . The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. Western Apache (. We drove out to our hotel in Willcox the day before, and enjoyed some authentic Mexican food for our pre-hike dinner that night. I had a choiceloop south then east and approach the summit from the southeast, or loop north. Thankfully, this segment wasn't too long and soon I arrived at the summit, exactly three hours after starting my hike. 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. Map includes a larger scale (1:40,000) inset of the Cave Creek Canyon and Rustler Park areas. PB LoJ It is flat for a few hundred yards, then swings left, where a sign mentions the distance to the peak as 5 miles. Phone +1 520-824-3560. I followed Turkey Creek Road into the range to the Mormon Creek trailhead area. Growing at elevations from around 5000 to over 7000 feet, the habitat transitions from lowland desert scrub to upper elevation pine-fir forests. 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. LoJ Distance Learning The hike down was quick, although the loose rocks were more treacherous as I moved downhill. 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 suited up and got things in order, starting the hike at 9:10 a.m. I hiked a mile in soft snow, but the snow was up to my hips. I hiked a mile in soft snow, but the snow was up to my hips. Then the trail parallelled the creek on the right as one faces uphill. 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. I have climbed the peak twice, in 2000 by myself, and again in 2003. Originally a nomadic people, they faced severe pressures from settlers and an expansionist U.S. government in the second half of the 19th century. [citation needed], The first recorded mining claim in the Chiricahua Mountains was the Hidden Treasure claim filed in 1881, and mining has continued intermittently to the present with the greatest periods of activity occurring in the 1920s and 1950s. There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. Teammates: (29), Comments [1] Forests cover much of the range, and a vast network of trails and camping areas offer multitudes of possibilities for hiking, camping and exploring. In addition, Willcox Playa is visible in the basin below. Turn right (south) on AZ 186 and continue for 23 miles. Read more. I eased the truck down the road and from Rustler Park, we drove down to the Chiricahua National Monument. Enjoy this 8.6-mile out-and-back trail near Rodeo, New Mexico. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. Access to the Chiricahua Mountains and Coronado National Forest is through Willcox from the north, Douglas from the south, and Rodeo from the east. It was hunting season and we came upon a father and son sitting along the trail, rifles on their laps. The Chiricahua Mountains are a large mountain massif located in the southeastern part of the US state of Arizona. At just over a mile high in elevation, Chiricahua National Monument enjoys fairly mild weather year round. 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). Like my first time here, the top is wooded and blocks most views. iv, no. Cochise County I decided to follow the Crest Trail (signed) north to the saddle between Chiricahua and Anita Peaks, elevation 9,500 feet. Roger Weller, geology instructor. Time: 1 hour With this ascent, I had my 11th Arizona County highpoint completed, a task I would finish a few months later. [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. the views are amazing. Here are nine things to know before you go. (1 ), Chiricahua Peak - Cochise County AZ Highpoint. 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. Using technology, we can bring the wonders of Chiricahua to YOUR classroom or organized group. Chiricahua Peak Via Mormon Canyon Trail. Gelemenovo is a village in Pazardzhik Municipality, Pazardzhik Province, southern Bulgaria. I met with a couple of hikers at Point 8,700, the only people I saw the whole day on the route. The spiky plants can be a painful problem. Sugarloaf Peak Click to reveal It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. However, I could readily see some of the nearby peaks such as Anita Peak. 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. 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. They had come up the upper Mormon Creek trail and they mentioned there were good views along this route. Feeding wildlife can put your life and the animals' life at risk. Learn about people who have called Chiricahua home over the years. 3 Beds. 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. 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. Time: 1 hour Apache is an Athabaskan (Na-Den) language spoken in central Arizona in the USA. The blast sent prodigious amounts of ash into the air. Neither I nor the webhost can be held responsible for unfortunate situations that may arise based on these trip reports. $407,000 Last Sold Price. From a distance, the range has a somewhat uniform appearance to it - Chiricahua Peak isn't reasily visible as it sits amid many other summits just a few hundred feet lower. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. 85643, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Explore Map Collection. Some of these hikes are major mountaineering or backpacking endeavors that require skill, proper gear, proper fitness and general experience. The trailhead's elevation is approximately 6,400 feet. Like my first time here, the top is wooded and blocks most views. I hiked the peak from Mormon Creek (lower) trailhead, which had a large parking area. The Forest Service has done a superb job in removing the deadfall that blocked so many of the trails, especially the final spur to the summit. Parts were nice, parts had downed trees and branches obstructing the way, and all of it was covered under a heavy mat of pine needles, cones and leaves. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Chiricahua Peak Weather Forecast, AZ - WillyWeather F 2 9:16 pm 21 Feb Relative Humidity 76% Rain Today 0.1in (0in Last Hour) Wind SW 8.1mph Dew Point 37.9 F Pressure 1009.5 hPa Hottest 87.8 F Pohnpei Island, HI Coldest -40 F WEST DELTA OIL PLATFORM, LA Windiest 55.2mph Mount Washington, NH Wettest (Last Hour) 0.1in Parts were nice, parts had downed trees and branches obstructing the way, and all of it was covered under a heavy mat of pine needles, cones and leaves. At the time of Spanish colonial contact, the Chiricahua lived in what are now the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Our "hunt" had been a success. Chiricahua Mountains is a range in Coronado National Forest, Chiricahua Wilderness, Chihuahuan Desert, AZ. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. Interestingly enough, the peak does have a little shade as some of the trees were spared right on top. (3), Additions & Corrections Crossing these obstacles was easy at first, but soon, especially on the final approach heading south of the saddle to the peak, the quantity of deadfall was enormous. There are two trails that run parallel along the Mormon Creek drainage. Hike a combined 5 mi / 8 km in the park and earn a commemorative pin from a park ranger. The quadrangle is located about 70 km southeast of Willcox, Ariz. 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. 8890 330 Hiking info for Chiricahua Peak via Mormon Ridge and Pole Bridge Loop, located in Coronado National Forest, Arizona. I didn't have any plans, so I decided to go back to the Chiricahua Range on a whim. 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. Washes wind through the park and flow when there is a lot of snowmelt or if there is a monsoon. LoJ Our "hunt" had been a success. Then the trail parallelled the creek on the right as one faces uphill. A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Willcox Chiricahua Peak is easy to climb, with a few possible starting points ranging from half-day hikes to longer overnighters. 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