We’re here again. We’re in a place settled long, long ago by people who migrated to North America thousands of years ago across the Bering land bridge or by sea. Their ancestral homeland was believed to be around modern-day Siberia/Mongolia, eventually settling across Alaska, northern Canada, and the American Southwest. Their migrations occurred in waves, with later groups moving south and east from an initial Alaskan settlement, adapting to diverse environments from subarctic forests to desert regions. These people are the Athabaskan people. We mentioned them in our episode about Canyon de Chelly.

As these people made their way down to what we now refer to as the Southwestern United States (between 1400 and 1500), the Chiricahua eventually settled in what is now southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Mexico in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. The Chiricahua people are named after the Chiricahua Mountains in southeast Arizona. The Apache Indians were only one of the bands of Chiricahua Indians that evolved into different clans.

As it was, and still seems to be, the way of the United States to take what belongs to someone else (for more current information, see “Greenland”) the Apache Wars of 1861 culminated, after 24 years, in the creation of a reservation for the Chiricahua people that allowed them to live in relative peace until the death of Cochise, when the reservation was abolished and the people were forced to move to another reservation.

After the Chiricahua people were relocated, settlers and ranchers moved into the area and in the 1930’s, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) came into the region and were responsible for the construction of many of the roads, parking areas, and trails. Many of the trails were built for recreation but some of them were designed specifically to allow access for firefighters.The Sugarloaf Trail, for example, has the dual purpose of providing fire lookout access as well as recreational opportunities. The Natural Bridge Trail was constructed for the sole purpose of firefighter access into Picket Park.

Bonita Canyon Highway offers a beautiful 8 mile drive to Massai Point, the culmination of a road that was constructed by the US Forest Service in 1932. The road is a narrow mountain road with low hanging trees and small parking areas. If you’re hauling a trailer, your trailer must be disconnected to drive up through Bonita Canyon. Chiricahua National Monument is a “Dark Sky” park, so be prepared for some intense stargazing!

Chiricahua National Monument is located at 13063 E Bonita Canyon Rd, Willcox, AZ. The park is open 24 hours a day. Trails stay open for sunrise, sunset, and night sky viewing. Be aware of wildlife and use extreme caution. There is no entrance fee or pass required to enter. The visitor center, on the right 3.5 miles after the entrance, is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. It has an information desk, museum, park film, and gift shop. It provides free maps, junior ranger booklets, and information.

MILE MARKER: Chiricahua National Monument was formed by a single massive volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago. The Turkey Creek volcano released such an enormous ash cloud that the material hardened into rock, creating the towering hoodoos and balanced stones we see today. When you hike here, you’re walking through what was once a volcanic ash blanket—now sculpted into a stone forest by time and erosion.

HIKE IT!: Once again, the National Park’s website offers a great hiking page which breaks the hikes down into easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes. Five easy hikes about a mile or less will take you to some of the most scenic areas in the park! Don’t forget, though, there is elevation in this park so acclimate to the altitude by doing a short hike first!