This one may be pushing the boundaries of being “just over the border” from Nevada, given its location in far southeast Arizona, about 8 hours from Las Vegas. But we had to include it because if you must leave Nevada to ride, then Chiricahua National Monument is a true bucket list riding destination.
This park features extensive hoodoos, pinnacles, and balanced rocks – remnants of a volcanic eruption millions of years ago. The ash from the volcano cooled and hardened into a rock called tuff, a sort of silica and pumice stone that eventually eroded into the natural rock formations that now give this place the nickname: A Wonderland of Rocks.
This is a WOW ride from start to finish. Every direction gives you jaw-dropping views of this unique landscape. The singletrack trails are signed well and easy to follow, but this is a tough ride. Do you like riding up and down stairs?? Because most of the trails are built as steps! If you’re looking to build up some butt muscle on your horses, these trails will do it.
From the parking area, you can ride out and access a series of different loops. If you do the biggest lollipop loop of trails (Lower and Upper Rhyolite, Sarah Deming, Big Balanced Rock, Mushroom Rock, Hailstone, Ed Riggs, Echo Canyon), you’re looking at a little over 14 miles. If you want to do it all, get there early and plan to spend the whole day.
Chiricahua sits at the crossroads of the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Made, Sonoran Desert, and Chihuahuan Desert so it’s a really interesting area for biodiversity.
Plants here include grasses, cacti and succulents, cypress, sycamore, oaks, juniper, chaparral shrublands, manzanita, and pines. In the spring wildflowers are prolific.
While there are black bear and mountain lions in the park, you are far more likely to spot deer, javelina, cottontails, fox, and skunks. Keep a sharp eye and you might even spot a ringtail or a coatimundi, mammals that looks like a cross between a lemur and a raccoon.
No bikes are allowed in this national monument so you’ll just encounter a few hikers, but otherwise this is a serene, otherwordly ride.
Getting Here
Where to Park:
There is one designated horse trailer parking area at the main entrance, near Faraway Ranch, before you get to the visitor’s center.
More Info:
https://www.nps.gov/chir/planyourvisit/horseback-riding-and-stock-use.htm
