When it comes to national parks in the Southwest, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is king. It is one of the most recognized parks in the world and is the tenth most visited park in the state, seeing more than 5.5 million visitors annually. But Arizona has plenty more parks and plenty that are just as visually stunning with significantly smaller crowds. Today, we’re going to take a look at one such place: Chiricahua National Monument.

Chiricahua National Monument is located deep in southeastern Arizona, about 36 miles south of Willcox and a short distance from the Arizona-Mexico border. Known for its impressive rock formations rising above pine trees, it was dedicated a national monument in 1924 in order to protect the natural area. The park is also, as mentioned above, one of the lesser visited parks in Arizona. In 2015, Chiricahua National Monument saw 56,960 visitors through the year, which amounts to about 156 people visiting every day.

The variety of rock formations found in the park is pretty in a picture but far more impressive when seen in person. Massive, towering hoodoos and balancing rocks stand above pines, lightly coated with lichen (the bright, yellow-green moss-like patches on the rocks). These formations were created after a huge volcanic eruption nearby, which covered the area with ash and pumice. These combined to create a volcanic rock called rhylitic tuff. This naturallly eroded over the centuries to create the pinnacles we see today.

Prior to becoming a national monument, the Chiricahua Mountains were part of the ancestral homeland for the Chiricahua Apache. It also became a stronghold for the Apache from the U.S. Army’s search and destroy missions when Americans began mass encroachment of the territory in the 19th century. In the late 1880s, after the Apache Wars ended and the people were moved to reservations, Americans and other European immigrants began settling the area. One of the most notable were a pair of Swedish immigrants, whose home is a preserved site within the monument (seen above).

There are plenty of hiking trails and scenic points found in the park. The most notable of these is Massai Point, seen below. Named after a leader of the Chiricahua Apache, this offers a grand view of the entire park. For information on hiking trails, scenic drives, and guided tours, visit the National Park website.

Such a beautiful place, isn't it? If you have visited Chiricahua National Monument before, let us know your thoughts about the park. You can share them below in the comments section or on our Facebook fan page.