Chiricahua National Monument had been on our radar for a while. Mostly, because neither Brian or the kids had ever been and it had been 20 years since I had been there. It also happened to be close-ish to our route on the way through Arizona, so honestly, how could we not go? We didn’t want to stay at a campground for the weekend, so we lucked out with finding a beautiful Harvest Hosts Winery nearby that allowed us to stay for two days instead of just one (You can see the post about them here: Pilsbury Wine Company).
Because we were staying relatively close, we didn’t feel like we had to rush up to the park first thing in the morning to get the full experience. We arrived around noon, but learned at the main gate that the only road that leads through the park was currently closed due to weather conditions. The poor park ranger…I can’t imagine being the bearer of bad news to every single vehicle that was pulling in. She quickly followed up by saying it was open to the Visitors Center and there was a chance that the road might open in the next few hours.
Well, the National Park Service Gods must have been smiling down on us, because by the time the kids had picked up their Junior Ranger packets, a Ranger came through the gift shop telling everyone that the road was back open!
We were able to take the kids on the Nature Hike that gave them amazing sweeping views of the area. Added bonus: there was still a ton of snow on the summit which led to perfectly unexpected snowball fights.
Chiricahua reminds me of a grey version of Bryce Canyon. The Hoodoos are just a wonderfully stark contrast to the surrounding desert landscapes.
