Chiricahua National Park

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 Park is a true bucket list riding destination.

In October 2026, Chiricahua became the country’s 64th national park. And for good reason! It 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.

For horseback visitors, this is a WOW ride from start to finish. Every direction gives you jaw-dropping views of this unique landscape. The singletrack trails are well-signed 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 Madre, 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 bears and mountain lions in the park, you are far more likely to spot deer, javelina, cottontails, foxes, and skunks. Keep a sharp eye, and you might even spot a ringtail or a coatimundi, mammals that look like a cross between a lemur and a raccoon.

Bikes are not allowed in this national park, but you can expect to encounter hikers, especially with the new national park designation. But overall, this is a serene, otherworldly place to visit and ride. Best to leave the dogs at home for this one, as they are required to be on a leash and are only allowed in certain areas. The NPS is pretty strict on that!