Chiricahua National Monument is a hidden gem in the Southwest and home to some pretty spectacular scenery. There are a few different ways to explore the park but probably the best trail to get a sense of the unique geological wonders here is the Echo Canyon Sarah Deming Canyon Loop.
Echo Canyon Trail Overview
The Echo Canyon Sarah Deming Canyon Loop is really a perfect trail.
It offers the opportunity to explore a rocky labyrinth of towering spires and hoodoos, many of which come in fascinating shapes and sizes. The route also has tremendous canyon and mountain views and some of the most diverse vegetation you’ll encounter in Arizona.
It’s also a hike around 7,000 feet in elevation which makes it a perfect summer hike. And finally, the hike is close to 8.5 miles long and has around 1,800 feet in elevation gain so the trail can also be a great workout.
- Distance: 8.36 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,798 feet
- Route Type: Loop
- Pets: No
- Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
- Time needed: 4 to 4.5 hours
Getting to the trailhead
Chiricahua National Monument is located about 45 minutes south of Wilcox, Arizona. (From Tucson, it took us about two hours to get there.)
There are not any gas stations or areas to stop for food or drink once you pass up the Wilcox area so be sure to fill up your gas tank and make snack and drink preparations.
Also, I did not have good cell phone service out in this area so you may want to consider having a satellite phone. Personally, I use the Garmin In-Reach and think it is great for hiking.
The trailhead is located deep in the national monument along the scenic Bonita Canyon Drive. You will see signs for Echo Canyon which is where you want to turn off and you will find a pretty good sized parking lot at the trailhead.
We visited on a morning in the middle of July and we were the only vehicle in the parking lot when we arrived and when we left.
There is no entrance fee to the park.
Trail conditions
The trail really is a work of art. There are many steps built into the rocks throughout the entire route and I was just thoroughly impressed with the engineering that took place. (I believe the Civilian Conservation Corps is responsible for creating the trail.)
The trail is mostly easy to follow although on a couple of occasions you will arrive onto a wide rocky area where it may not be immediately apparent which direction to go.
There are also well-marked signs at all of the trail junctions so it’s mostly very easy to navigate.
Route description
As a whole, the Echo Canyon Sarah Deming Canyon Loop is a canyon hike that will have you drop down into the canyon, climb back up, drop back down, and then climb back up. The first down and up portion is longer and more strenuous than the second half although fatigue may be a factor towards the end.
The first half a mile of the trail is pretty flat but the views immediately come into play and you will be introduced to different types of vegetation like Arizona cypress and Mexican pine.
Chiricahua National Monument is special because it is where several different types of ecosystems converge and offer you a little dose of different regions like the Rockies, Sonoran Desert, Sierra Madre, and Chihuahuan Desert.
After the first half a mile you will begin the descent which is probably the funnest section of the hike.
During this section, you’ll come across some fascinating hoodoos and spires.
These rock formations are thought to be from the Turkey Creek Volcano that erupted 27 million years ago. After ash particles settled and melted together, they formed layers of gray rock known as rhyolite. And after millions of years of uplifting and weathering, these rocks have been exposed and sculpted into these mesmerizing shapes.
As you descend, you’ll also have some great views of Sugarloaf Mountain — the tallest peak in the park at 7,310 feet. (You can make your way to the top via a pretty short trail.)
One of the most interesting sites is Cochise Head which is a mountain that looks just like the profile of someone’s head lying on their back. You’ll catch glimpses of this sleeping rock giant throughout the hike.
As you make your way down the Echo Canyon Trail, the views really are sweeping and endless. I’d never seen terrain that looks like this before, so be prepared to take your time and take lots of photos.
There are many ledges that you can check out (if you are comfortable with drop offs).
There are also some cool little grottoes to explore. You’ll come across a series of them and they are fun to navigate.
Some parts during the descent level out a little bit but for the most part you’ll be heading down at a good rate.
At a little over 1 mile into the hike you’ll come through Echo Park which is a peaceful little spot along the trail where you can find Douglas fir trees. By the way, the canyon is called “Echo Canyon” for a reason; your voice can easily echo throughout the canyon.
From there, you continue to make your way downhill.
At about 1.6 miles into the hike, you will come to the junction for the Hailstone Trail.
If you do not want to take on the 8.5 mile loop you can head east on this trail and make your route a little over 3 miles. For those who question their hiking abilities and/or conditioning, I would recommend that route.
As you proceed past that trail junction, you will be traveling towards the Upper Rhyolite Canyon Trail and the views will continue to be amazing.
Then at about the 2 mile marker, you’ll enter a dense and well-shaded forest area. This area felt very cool and was pretty damp when we made our way through. It was really cool to have such a drastic change in scenery and it was also extremely peaceful.
After heading through some dense forest, you will start to make your main climb on this hike.
You’ll be gaining a little over 1,000 feet in elevation over the next 2.2 miles. So the grade is not that bad at but if you are not well conditioned, this portion of the hike could prove to be challenging.
Shortly after you start the incline, you will come to a junction with the Lower Rhyolite Canyon Trail. That trail will take you all the way to the visitor center heading west, so you will want to make sure that you had east on the Sarah Deming Trail.
As you gain in elevation, the views of Sarah Deming Canyon below are pretty fantastic.
You will know that you are coming to an end of the major stretch of incline when you see the rocky steps taking you to the top of the canyon.
Eventually, as you come to the top of the elevation climb you will enter into the Heart of Rocks area. The Heart of Rocks Loop Trail is about 1.1 miles long round trip.
I highly recommend that you do this hike because it will get you up close with some of the most interesting rock formations. This is also one of the funnest portions of the hike.
Some of the rock formations to be on the lookout for are those like the kissing rocks, pinnacle balanced rock, duck on a rock, and others.
Just be sure to do the loop clockwise because we ended up doing it counterclockwise and were going the opposite direction of the signs which made it a little bit more difficult to locate all of the cool rock structures since we had to check backwards.
The Heart of Rocks area has some elevation gain and is a bit up and down. The trail winds through some narrow passages and you’ll have to climb up and down some large steps at times.
Once again, it’s not the most challenging terrain but if you were doing it after the long uphill hike and you are already gassed, you may want to take a break before working your way through this area.
After you finish up in the Heart of Rocks, you will continue at a mild incline while encountering some other fascinating geology including the big balanced rock.
Once you pass up big balanced rock, you will continue east on the Big Balanced Rock Trail.
This portion of the hike is one of the easiest. It’s very open and it will take you to the highest point of the hike at ~7,052 feet.
Once you get 6 miles into the hike, it’s time to go back downhill. You will be heading down about 670 feet in 1.3 miles so it’s not as much of a descent as the initial drop into the canyon.
Just before you begin the decline, you can take the spur to Inspiration Point which is a great lookout point that will add about 1 mile round-trip to your hike. (We saved it for next time.)
Once you pass up Inspiration Point Trail, you will head downhill into Hunt Canyon and make your way towards the Mushroom Rock Trail. There is some beautiful canyon scenery along this trail and what looks like a seasonal creek.
Eventually, you will need to make a turn at the junction for the Ed Riggs Trail. This will be the final stretch of the hike and is a moderate incline.
You will enjoy more great views as you continue to climb your way back up to the parking lot area.
Final word
As you can tell, this is a pretty great hike in multiple respects. It has great views, vegetation, a well done trail, and the unique geological features make this a must-do hike. We will definitely be returning to the national monument soon to check out more of the hikes in the park!