Chiricahua National Monument

I had heard that there were some interesting rock formations in southeastern Arizona, but I was truly amazed at what I found at Chiricahua. Here in this vast area of desert lies an isolated mountain range with ridge after ridge of forested peaks. After enjoying the desert for more than a week, it was a change to pull into a cool, leafy campground that reminded me of back East, although there were palm-like trees and plants interspersed among the deciduous trees and evergreens.



One of the reasons that I bought an RV the size of GoJoe (26.5 feet) is that they can squeeze into campsites that the bigger ones have to bypass. Many National Park and other more rustic campgrounds have limits on the sizes of RVs they can accept. GoJoe's size allows me to visit some out of the way places and still have my "house." Chiricahua was one of the first places to really test my skills with its hairpin mountain turns and snug campsites.

The real reason to visit this area is the vertical stone formations, called by the Chiricahua Apaches the "standing up rocks." These pinacles were formed eons ago when volcanic ash hardened into layers of stone called rhyolite. Much later, cooling and uplifting created cracks in the rhyolite, and ice "wedging" and water erosion enlarged the cracks. Over the millennia, water has washed away much of the eroded stone, leaving tall spires, balanced rocks, and other curious stone shapes.














FARAWAY RANCH

In 1887, Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson settled in this remote region and established a ranch. Their daughter and her husband, Ed Riggs, turned the homestead into a guest ranch that operated until 1973. It is now part of the national monument.


































On the road again ...