We arrived at the Elks lodge in Willcox, Arizona yesterday and visited the Chiricahua Regional Museum where we learned about the railroad, Butterfield Stage Line, U.S. Calvary, Apache Indians of this area (including Cochise and Geronimo), and the development of farming, ranching and mining.
In days past the large cattle ranches in the surrounding hill and valleys were notorious as refuges for fugitive gunslingers, who often brought their business to town: Wyatt Earp's brother Warren was killed at Headquarters Saloon in 1900. Saloons and other buildings from the late 1800s can be seen in or near the historic district. For those of you who are cowboy movie fans, the cowboy actor Rex Allen was born and raised in Willcox. A bronze statue and the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum are located on Railroad Avenue.
Today we drove to the Chiricahua (cheer-ee-KAH-wah) National Monument (monument being another word for park according to the visitor guide) also known as the "Wonderland of Rocks" (or "standing up rocks" by the Apache). The elevation ranges from 5,180 to 7,825 feet. The land was once controlled by the Chiricahua Apaches under Cochise, who led the Native Americans' resistance to the white man during the 1860s. Research indicates that about 27 million years ago violent eruptions from the nearby Turkey Creek caldera took place, covering the area with white-hot ash. After the ash fused and cooled into an almost 2,000-foot layer of rock, the forces of erosion sculpted it into the odd array of shapes that can be seen.
Wow! We took the 3.3 mile Echo Canyon Loop. I wish we would have had more time, there are several hikes ranging from 0.2 miles to 9.5 miles or a multitude of combinations of trails. The rock formations are amazing. Our pictures do not do them justice. Please note the few pictures we took with us at the base of the rock formation to see the actual size and scope of the structures. The weather ran the gamut during our hike. We started with part sun/part clouds, then it snowed, then wind, then the clouds cleared and it turned hot! We ended our visit to Chiricahua National Monument with a lunch at the overlook picnic area. More thumbnails ...
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