… was proclaimed such on this date in 1924.
Twenty seven million years ago a volcanic eruption of immense proportions shook the land around Chiricahua National Monument. One thousand times greater than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Turkey Creek Caldera eruption eventually laid down two thousand feet of highly silicious ash and pumice. This mixture fused into a rock called rhyolitic tuff and eventually eroded into the spires and unusual rock formations of today.
The monument is a mecca for hikers and birders. At the intersection of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, and the southern Rocky Mountains and northern Sierra Madre in Mexico, Chiricahua plants and animals represent one of the premier areas for biological diversity in the northern hemisphere.
I love the Chiricahua Mountains and the monument. I’ve been there a twice since returning to Arizona a couple years ago, and it never disappoints. The vistas are outstanding, and the rock formations are amazing. I love to drive up to the top of the mountains above the pass to New Mexico. Beautiful alpine and spruce forest way up there, and always a refreshing change/escape from the desert below.