Explore Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

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Chiricahua National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service located in the Chiricahua Mountains. It is famous for its extensive vertical rock formations. The Chiricahua Mountains in southeast Arizona are a rugged fault-block range that extends for thirty-five miles. Isolated by two broad alluvial valleys of approximately 4100 feet, Sulphur Springs to the west and San Simon to the east, Chiricahua's peak summit of 9795 feet dominates the region. Located on the northwest slope, Chiricahua National Monument is a picturesque area of approximately twelve thousand acres. Elevations within the monument range from 5150 feet to 7825 feet. Centrally located are two merging canyons, Bonita and Rhyolite, that have eroded through layers of volcanic rock. Wind, rain, and ice have also eroded areas of landscape into successions of tall spires and massive columns. Within Chiricahua National Monument are intermittent streams, such as Bonita and Rhyolite, lined with a mixed canopy of Arizona walnut, Fremont cottonwood, velvet ash, Arizona cypress, and several oaks including Emory, silverleaf and netleaf. A few perennial springs are found within the boundary. Typical breeding birds in this area consist of Cooper's Hawk, Western Screech-Owl, Whip-poor-will, Blue-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Dusky-capped and Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, Cassin's Kingbird, Gray-breasted Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Solitary Vireo, Black-throated Warbler, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bronzed and Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Northern Oriole. The steep slopes of innumerable exposed cliff faces of Chiricahua National Monument are clothed with one-seed juniper, mountain mahogany, and pointleaf manzanita. Birds of the chaparral include Scrub Jay, Rock Wren, Rufous-sided Towhee, and Black-chinned Sparrow. Mid-elevation woodlands of Chiricahua National Monument are dominated by Mexican pinyon, Arizona oak, netleaf oak, silverleaf oak, Chihuahua and Apache pines, Arizona madrone, and alligator juniper. Breeding birds include Whiskered Screech-Owl, Acorn Woodpecker, Gray-breasted Jay, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Vlrginia's and Black-throated Gray Warblers. The dominant trees in the upper elevations of Chiricahua National Monument include Arizona pine, southwestern white pine, Douglas fir, and Gambel oak. Typical breeding birds are Band-tailed Pigeon, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Mexican Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Solitary Vlreo, Grace's Warbler, Redfaced Warbler, Olive Warbler, and Yellow-eyed Junco. The monument is located approximately 36 miles (58 km) southeast of Willcox, Arizona. Geologists believe that it preserves the remains of an immense volcanic eruption that shook the region some 27 million years ago. The thick white-hot ash spewed forth from the nearby Turkey Creek Caldera, cooled and hardened into rhyolite tuff, laying down almost two thousand feet of dark volcanic ash and pumice, highly siliceous in nature which eventually eroded into the natural features visible that we see at the monument today. In 2008, the Chiricahua National Monument Historic Designed Landscape, covering roughly 80% of the National Monument, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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