Chiricahua National Monument: Hiking The Big Loop Trail

See The Best of Chiricahua National Park Along The Big Loop Trail

When most think of Arizona, they think of dry deserts, red rock buttes, and sprawling valleys of Saguaro cacti. While these attributes may be associated most with the desert region, there are actually several other types of landscapes you can find in other corners of the state.

If you head down to the southern area of Arizona, near the New Mexico border, you’ll find a rare geological wonder created from ancient volcanic activity. Towering rock pillars, otherwise known as hoodoos, scattered for miles across the dense Coronado National Forest. Many travel far and wide to experience the strange but scenic land known as Chiricahua National Monument.

If you only have 1 day to visit, don’t sweat. You can see the best of hoodoos and more along 1 epic loop trail of the park! Are you game for The Big Loop Trail? (Yes, that’s what it’s actually called)

A Quick Geology Lesson of Chiricahua National Monument

Chiricahua National Monument is located down south of Arizona, not far from the historic cities of Tombstone and Bisbee. Both wonderful towns to explore or find overnight lodging should you be needing any in the nearby area.

Although, if you’re coming from the big city of Tucson, expect a near 2 hour drive to reach the entrance of the park.

Before we dive into the nitty gritty of the hike, let’s briefly touch on how & why these rock pillars came to be.

How The Hoodoos Were Formed

Roughly 27 millions years ago, a volcanic eruption occurred which spewed ash and molten debris across the land forming a 12 mile wide caldera. As the debris settled, it compacted and formed a thick layer of rock known as rhyolite tuff.

Over time, this thick rock later has eroded and fissured from rain and wind, which then created the unique rock pillars we see today.

On top of all this, these pillars reside on The Chiricahua Mountains which is one of the few sky islands of Arizona. What the heck is a sky island you ask? Basically an isolated mountain range that rises up out of the surrounding desert “sea.” Not your average spot in an otherwise flat desert state!

Undoubtedly, these large rock pinnacles are the most noticeable features of the park. Some even stretch up and over a hundred feet tall! Like most hoodoos, these soaring rocks are balancing on a narrow base which means they could potentially topple over at any time.

In order to preserve this extraordinary landscape, Chiricahua National Monument was formed by the National Park Service. Today, hikers can enjoy the terrain safely along numerous hiking trails, viewpoints, and campgrounds.

Park Info/Hours

Address – 12856 E Rhyolite Creek Rd, Willcox AZ 85643
Hours – Park is open 24/7 all seasons of the year
Visitor Center – Open 8:30am – 4:30pm (stop in, get a map!)
Admission – Fee Free Park, no entrance fee required

Conveniently, there is only 1 main road that runs through Chiricahua National Monument. Bonita Canyon Drive starts at the entrance and takes you to all points of the park such as the visitor center, trailheads, historic sites, and multiple campgrounds.

If you’re up to see the best of the park and are craving a fun but challenging hike, then you need to hike The Big Loop Trail.

Hike Details – The Big Loop Trail

Distance: 8.3 miles round trip
Elevation: 1,731 ft
Route Type: Loop
Difficulty: Strenuous/Hard
Time to Complete: 5-6 hours (expect all day)

This loop trail includes the following 7 trails:

Ed Riggs Trail
Mushroom Rock Trail
Big Balanced Rock Trail
Heart of Rocks Loop Trail
Sarah Deming Trail
Upper Ryholite Canyon Trail
Echo Canyon Trail

Fun features along the loop:

Mushroom Rock
Big Balanced Rock
Pinnacle Rock
Kissing Rocks
Duck on A Rock
Echo Park
Wall Street
Massai Point (+0.5 mile, not included in this post)
Inspiration Point (+ 1.0 mile, not included in this post)

The Big Loop Trail is no joke. Seriously. This intense trail should only be attempted by those who are experienced hikers or those who are physically fit and able for strenuous activity.

If you’re up for the challenge, then great! We highly recommend this trail as it truly does take you through so many incredible spots of the park.

While we did have a blast along The Big Loop, we’ll be honest with you, this trail absolutely kicked our asses. (we aren’t in the best shape) Regardless, the pain was well worth the gain and it is a one of a kind experience we will never forget.

FYI – The Big Loop Trail here is different than The Big Loop Trail mentioned on the NPS website which is a total of 9.5 miles. The NPS Big Loop includes Inspiration Point which we do not include in this post. Besides this one viewpoint, everything else is the same.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Wear Hiking Shoes – 3 performance day hiking shoes should you need a reputable pair
- Learn 9 Expert Steps to Choosing Hiking Shoes if you’re new to buying hiking shoes
Use Sun Protection (this trail has some shade but periods of direct sunlight ) –check out these 5 Awesome Hiking Hats
Stay Hydrated – How to best stay hydrated while hiking
Bring a packable lunch or snacks – you will be hiking all day, bring food to refuel
Wear warm clothes outside of summer – high elevation means frigid temps – consider these 12 Articles of Cold Weather Clothing

Starting The Big Loop – Ed Riggs Trail – 1.0 mile

To reach The Big Loop trailhead, park at Echo Canyon Parking Area near the end of Bonita Canyon Drive. This post will cover the loop trail in a counter-clockwise fashion, starting with the Ed Riggs Trail.

The very beginning of The Big Loop Trail is fairly easy. Ed Riggs Trail is about 1.0 mile long and mainly flat with a slight descent as you head down into the canyon.

Just 0.2 miles in, you’ll see a junction that leads to Massai Point. Continue right to stay on the trail. You could add on Massai Point but that adds on another 0.5 miles to your hike. Honestly, I would advise against it since you already have a lot of miles ahead of you but the choice is up to you.

As you continue down the trail, you’ll be quickly surrounded by the large rock hoodoos that Chiricahua National Monument is famous for. Well that was fast!

Follow the trail down and take in all the surrounding rock pillars, both on the ground and on the mountains above. These spires have a unique color combination of brown, gray, and lime green. A fun contrast of color that makes up large sections of the park.

After about 1 mile, the trail opens up to a tremendous view of the canyon. Tons of hoodoos stretching far off into the distance and down the canyon. Only 1.0 mile in and we’re both already jaw dropping.

We haven’t seen this many hoodoos since Navajo Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park! Who knew Arizona would have such a large colony of them.

A little further down the trail, you’ll reach the junction of Hailstone Trail and Mushroom Rock Trail. To stay on The Big Loop, go left and down to continue onto Mushroom Rock Trail.

Mushroom Rock Trail – 1.2 miles

You’re now on the 2nd trail of The Big Loop. Mushroom Rock Trail is 1.2 miles long and bit more work as you’ll be ascending about 500 ft.

This trail takes you deeper into the forest and within trees, providing some shade from previously exposed canyon.

Follow the trail alongside the hill as you make the slow climb upward.

Along the way, keep an eye out for Mushroom Rock on the right side. Look for a very flat topped rock sitting on a extremely narrow base. Somewhat similar to a mushroom?

It’s insane how these pillars manage to stay standing! Seriously feels like Mushroom Rock can fall over at any time.

At around 1.2 miles, you’ll reach the junction for Big Balanced Rock Trail and Inspiration Point. Stay left to continue on The Big Loop Trail to Big Balanced Rock.

WORD OF ADVICE: Inspiration Point is one of the more epic canyon viewpoints of Chiricahua National Monument. Although, making the trek to this point adds 1.0 mile to your hike. This may not sound like a lot but it can be when you’re already hiking 8.3 miles in one day.

As much as we would have loved to see Inspiration Point we chose against it since we already knew we were pushing it that day with 8 miles. We’re glad we did as this hike was already enough to completely wear us out. Be smart and don’t stretch yourself too thin by adding on too many extra steps.

Big Balanced Rock Trail – 1.0 mile

Now that you’re back at the top of the canyon, expect views to open up as you trek through a burned forest. Chiricahua National Monument was affected by the Horseshoe 2 fire in 2011.

Amazingly, much of the trees and foliage have grown back but you can still see remaining black burn marks on some of the trees.

Big Balanced Rock Trail is around 1.0 mile long and mainly flat with a slight descent.

About halfway through, you’ll see some great views of the rock pillars from a couple different viewpoints. Pretty sure we both “Woah’d” when we stumbled upon this point.

Just past this, you’ll be walking beside many different kind of pillars along both sides of the trail.

To me, this was my favorite part of the Big Loop Trail. Not only for the dramatic views, but I loved hiking closer to the pillars and walking through what felt like a dense forest of rock hoodoos. At times I forgot we were still in Arizona!

Around 1 mile you’ll see the large Balanced Rock on your left. Impossible to miss as it’s massive and also because of the obvious plaque in front that clearly states “Balanced Rock.”

Similar to Mushroom Rock, this huge boulder sits on a very narrow rock base. How on earth is this thing still standing?

Continue on a bit to reach the junction for the Heart of Rocks Loop.

FYI – You do not have to add on the Heart of Rocks Loop if you don’t want to. If you’re feeling tired, you can continue past to the Sarah Deming Trail which continues The Big Loop. Although, the Heart of Rocks Loop is the most impressive collection of rock spires in Chiricahua National Monument. We highly recommend you check it out!

Heart of Rocks Loop – 0.7 mile

Get ready for a huge collection of hoodoos in all different shapes and sizes! Heart of Rocks Loop is about 0.7 miles to complete and takes you through some of the most interesting rock pillars of the park.

We did the loop in a clockwise fashion. It really doesn’t matter which direction you go, elevation gain either way is around the same and mainly flat.

As you hike through the loop, expect to squeeze your way through some tight passageways in between the rocks.

You really get up close and personal with the hoodoos once you’re inside this tight cluster of pillars.

Along the way, you’ll see Pinnacle Rock, Old Maid, Thor’s Hammer, Camel’s Head and a few others. My favorites are the Kissing Rocks and Duck on a Rock. Kissing Rocks are two rock spires leaning in toward each other which appear like they’re kissing. (Aww)

Duck on a Rock is, well, you can guess. A duck shaped rock that’s sitting on a rock. It got a laugh out of me.

Once you’ve finished the small loop, head back up the way you came to get back on The Big Loop Trail. Continue right once out of the Heart of Rocks Loop to start the Sarah Deming Trail.

Sarah Deming Trail – 1.6 miles

Out of all the trails on this loop, the Sarah Deming Trail has the least amount of interesting features. (Sorry Sarah) If you’re running behind on time or looking to pick up the pace, this is the best section to walk a bit faster.

Sarah Deming Trail is about 1.6 miles and thankfully all downhill. Making it much easier to hike at a faster pace.

There are close to no spires along this first section of the trail. You’re mainly walking along the backside of the mountain and descending into the Sarah Deming Canyon. By now, my feet were starting to ache and my legs were becoming sore. Uh oh, we still got a good amount to go. Good thing we brought Ibuprofen to help with some of the aches. (Pro-Hiking Tip!)

As you near the end of Sarah Deming Trail, the views open up again and you’ll see rock formations start to appear throughout the canyon.

At the bottom, you’ll reach the junction for Upper Rhyolite Canyon Trail and Lower Rhyolite Canyon Trail. Take Upper Rhyolite Canyon Trail to stay on The Big Loop.

Upper Rhyolite Canyon Trail – 1.1 miles

Welcome to the beginning of the ascent back up towards where you started. Wooo!?

Upper Rhyolite Canyon Trail is around 1.1 miles with an ascent of 430 ft. Not the worst, but definitely not the best when you’re starting to feel really tired. This part is pretty condensed, taking you through a lush section of the forest. Expect to be ascending for majority of this trail.

In the beginning, the views of the spires are great. Once you’re in the forest though, you’ll follow a stream bed until you reach some rocky switchbacks.

A bit further past the switchbacks, you’ll reach the junction for Echo Canyon Trail and Hailstone Trail. Keep left to continue on The Big Loop Trail.

FYI – If you prefer, you could take Hailstone Trail paired with Ed Riggs Trail to get back to the parking lot. This option is the same length but with slightly less gain in elevation.

However, we recommend taking Echo Canyon Trail as it takes you through some incredible scenery along the hoodoos. Plus, it’s a completely new trail where Ed Riggs Trail you already hiked in the very beginning.

Echo Canyon Trail – 1.7 miles

You’re almost there and on the last trail of the 7 trails of The Big Loop! Hopefully you’re hanging in there.

Echo Canyon Trail ascends another 500 ft over the course of 1.7 miles. A steady climb up and through some of the rocky boulders and pillars.

Honestly, I was having a hard time by this point with my aching feet and legs. We pushed through and managed to survive off of some Hi Chew candy. (We were space cadets and didn’t bring enough food for this hike *facepalm*)

Surprisingly, it was so cold outside that our chewy candy became too hard to eat. We literally had to suck on it for a minute or 2 to warm it up so it would become chew-able again. Not our finest moment as hikers!

As you head up, you will pass Echo Park and Wall Street.

Echo Park is a small area full of unique looking rock formations. Further up is Wall Street where you pass through sheer rock walls that stand tall on both sides of the trail.

Kind of like walking through a narrow alleyway except without all the graffiti. (we’re LA folk)

Nearing The End of The Big Loop

Continue heading up until you start to peak over all the rock pillars. The views of the canyon begin to form again as you’re taken out of the rock forest. Let out a victory scream (or sigh of relief) that you made it to end of The Big Loop and are once again out of the canyon.

Finally, we could see the parking lot up ahead on the left. (THANK GOODNESS) Both of us were struggling internally so you can imagine our excitement upon seeing our car not far off in the distance.

We’re not very accustomed to hikes of this length paired with so much changing incline. So our pain may be different than yours depending on your level of strength and stamina.

Once you reach the end of Echo Canyon Trail, turn left and you’re back at the beginning and at the parking lot.

An Unforgettable Experience Through Chiricahua National Monument

The Big Loop Trail is the best way to see the main attributes of this extraordinary park. If you only have one day at Chiricahua National Monument, this is your go to trail.

7 trails, 8.3 miles, and a continual ascent & descent through the canyons and you’ll feel like you know this park like the back of your hand. We’re both stoked we were able to complete this trail even though it left us with sore legs for at least a few days.

Truly it was an incredible adventure through the hoodoo filled canyons and the Coronado Forest. We hope you have the chance to experience it for yourself!

Just bring more food than we did. Fueling with candy is no bueno.

If you have the time, and are looking for more scenic hikes such as this, check out Romero Pools Trail at Catalina State Park. For those heading back to Tucson, this is a perfect stop since it’s located just outside the city!

Check out our video on The Big Loop Trail and our adventure in Chiricahua National Monument below!