Chiricahua - Western National Parks Association

Chiricahua

National Monument

Welcome!

A “Wonderland of Rocks” waits for you to explore. The 8-mile paved scenic drive and 17 miles of day-use hiking trails reveal the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this 12,025-acre site. Visit the Faraway Ranch Historic District to discover more about the people who have called this area home.

Chiricahua National Monument

Explore the Park

The pinnacles, balanced rocks, and spires found at Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona were created 27 million years ago by one of the largest known volcanic eruptions in the American Southwest. The land within this wilderness holds cultural and spiritual significance for the Chiricahua Apache, who called it the Land of Standing-Up Rocks. In 1887, Neil and Emma Erickson, Swedish immigrants, took up residence at Faraway Ranch. Later, the Erickson’s daughter, Lillian, and her husband, Ed, would promote this “wonderland of rocks” as a tourist attraction, successfully supporting the establishment of Chiricahua National Monument in 1924. Lillian helped turn Faraway Ranch into a guest ranch in the 1910s and ran it for more than five decades, despite losing both her hearing and her sight.  In 2021, the park received its International Dark Sky Place certification for the exceptional quality of its starry nights. For almost a century, Chiricahua National Monument has preserved our nation’s complex cultural and natural history, and continues as a place of recreation and reflection for all who visit.

Stories from Chiricahua

Survey of Carnivore Community Structure at Chiricahua Chiricahua National Monument
Effects of Prescribed Fire on a Snake Predator and its Lizard Prey
Connectivity of Carnivore Populations between Arizona National Parks
Since our founding in 1938

WNPA has provided more than

$136 million

in aid to our partner parks to fund educational programs, initiatives, and scientific research

Kids in Parks

National parks are places where kids can dream up great adventures! Taking in amazing scenery. Testing out new skills. Exploring places kids may have only heard about. But most importantly, creating new memories with friends and family.

Our public lands are our public commons. They belong to all of us as part of our natural and cultural heritage. They remind us of a larger world that has existed long before the arrival of humans and will survive long after we are gone. –Terry Tempest Williams, Author & Conservationist

Shop Online

Bring the Parks Home

When you can’t get to a national park for a visit, experience it from the comfort of your home. WNPA’s online store is packed with ranger-approved park collectibles, books, toys, and clothing. Shop for a special item.