The Big Loop, Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
Krista in front of Pinnacle Balanced Rock
The Chiricahua National Monument is one of the most underrated National Monuments I have been to. I’m not sure why it isn’t more well known. “The Big Loop” hike in Chiricahua National Monument was one of my favorite hikes this fall. Mike and I camped just outside of the park the night before. Camping seems to be the best way to see this park as there’s not much infrastructure nearby. There’s also a campground in the park, but it was full when we got there.
After eating breakfast, we headed into the National Monument. We parked at the Echo Canyon Trailhead and started hiking down the Echo Canyon Trail. We decided to do this loop in a counterclockwise direction. I think it would be equally as pretty in both directions so I don’t have a recommended direction. Right away, we saw plenty of neat looking rock formations. Not too long into the hike, we passed the Echo Canyon Grotto which we took a few minutes to explore.
The trail then started to descend towards the bottom of the canyon, where we found a mostly dried up stream bed. We followed this stream bed for a little while until we came to an intersection with the Sarah Deming Trail, where we took a left. We started regaining the elevation we had lost, but at no point did the trail feel exceptionally steep, and I commend the trail builders for the steady, manageable grade of the trail.
We then came to the intersection with the Heart of Rocks Loop, the part of the hike that I was the most excited about. We decided to do this loop clockwise. My favorite rock of the day was the Pinnacle Balanced Rock. It’s amazing that rock hasn’t fallen over. There were numerous other rocks along this loop that were really impressive, and I highly recommend making sure you complete the Heart of Rocks Loop if you do this hike.
Once we completed the loop, we turned left and hiked to the viewpoint for Balanced Rock, another rock that really impressed us. After a short break, we continued along Big Balanced Rock Trail. To our right, we had some pretty views of the Chiricahua Wilderness. We thought it would be a pretty place for a backpacking trip, but I’m not sure what water availability is like - something to think about for another trip.
Big Balanced Rock Trail turned into Mushroom Rock Trail (make sure you are looking around so you don’t miss Mushroom Rock!). This section of trail was the least interesting in my opinion, but we had also just completed the Heart of Rocks Loop, which would be hard to beat from a viewpoint perspective. When we came to the next intersection, we took a right onto the Ed Riggs Trail, which took us back to the trailhead.
Overall, I really enjoyed this hike, and it certainly beat my expectations. We saw around 20 other people on this loop on a weekday in early November. This was a lovely time of year to complete the hike as the high that day was in the mid 60s. If you do this hike during a warmer time of year, be sure to bring plenty of water. I highly recommend making a trip to the Chiricahua National Monument if you have the opportunity.
Stats: 8.0 miles, 1600 ft of elevation gain
