Chiricahua National Park: History, Highlights, and One- to Three-Day Adventures

Chiricahua is a forest of stone: thousands of rhyolite columns and balanced rocks filling the canyons of a sky island in southeastern Arizona, and since October 20, 2026, the country's 64th national park. This guide shows you how to spend one, two, or three good days there at your own pace, with where to stay, when to beat the storms, and where to look for wildlife.

What's inside

• Nine ready-made itineraries: one, two, and three days, each at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, from the scenic drive and Massai Point to the Echo Canyon Loop, Sugarloaf Mountain, Natural Bridge, and the Heart of the Rocks, each with a storm or snow backup
• The park's history, from the ancient eruption that made the rocks to Cochise and the Chiricahua Apache, the Buffalo Soldiers, Faraway Ranch, the CCC, and the change from national monument to national park
• Sightseeing highlights: Bonita Canyon Drive, Faraway Ranch, the Big Loop, Inspiration Point, the night sky, and nearby Fort Bowie
• A wildlife chapter profiling 14 animals, from coatis and Coues white-tailed deer to Mexican jays, acorn woodpeckers, and Yarrow's spiny lizards, each with a photograph and notes on where and when to look
• Trip planning for vehicle limits, lodging in Willcox, Bonita Canyon Campground, the monsoon, winter snow, elevation, safety, and accessibility
• 35 photographs and 4 orientation maps

What you'll receive

• EPUB ebook (Chiricahua_National_Park_Brian_D_Russ.epub, about 14 MB) for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and most e-reader apps. Kindle readers can send it to their library with Amazon's Send to Kindle.
• PDF (Chiricahua_National_Park_Brian_D_Russ.pdf, 102 pages including the cover, about 31 MB) for any device, and for printing pages. It opens on the illustrated cover.

Your download link arrives by email right after purchase.

Edition

First illustrated edition, October 2026, with research completed October 2026. Signs, programs, and schedules may change as the new park settles in, so check the park's current alerts before you travel.

Fill the tank, pack the water, and give yourself time among the rocks.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.