Chiricahua National Monument is one of our favorite places in the American Southwest, if not the entire world. It is a mesmerizing land of "standing up rocks", as the native people call them. It is often referred to as a "wonderland of rocks". It truly is just that! In order to fully experience the beautiful landscape of Chiricahua and get up close and personal with the hundreds of rock spires, or "hoodoos", as they are often called, you will need to hike into the heart of the wilderness area. On a recent trip to Chiricahua, we hiked almost every trail in the park with the exception of a few and experienced most of what Chiricahua has to offer. We felt that the Heart of Rocks Loop trail represents the best of Chiricahua. It certainly contains many of the most famous, named rock formations, such as "The Old Maid", "Thor's Hammer", "Punch and Judy", and "The Kissing Rocks". In addition to some of these more well-known formations, hiking the Heart of Rocks loop will immerse you within one of the densest collections of beautiful rock spires in the park. You truly will feel like you are at the heart of it all when you hike this iconic trail. Not only will you get to walk deep within the hoodoos, but this trail also offers several beautiful views of Chiricahua from pretty high up. You will be able to see out to the desert beyond Chiricahua and get a good feel of why Chiricahua is referred to as a "sky island". You will also see some great views of the park from other angles. The only way to experience the Heart of Rocks is to hike to it. It is not accessible by vehicle. There are multiple trailheads you can begin from, and multiple ways you can configure a hike. We included this destination as part of a larger hike known as the "Big Loop", which we will be releasing another video on soon on that. But for those looking for a more casual experience, you can hike to Heart of Rocks from the visitor center, taking the Lower Rhyolite Trail to the Sarah Deming Trail, to the Heart of Rocks Loop trailhead, and then back the way you came. If you don't want to do an out-and-back hiking experience, you could also consider catching a daily hiker shuttle from the visitor center at 9:00 AM that will take you to the top of the park, so you can configure a hike through one of several trails down to Heart of Rocks, for a mainly downhill experience. No matter how you do it, if you have never visited Chiricahua, and especially if you are not sure you will have a chance to return and it is a once in a lifetime experience for you, we feel strongly that the Heart of Rocks loop should be the focal point of your Chiricahua itinerary.
