Echo Canyon Loop Hike

Echo Canyon Loop Trail / Chiricahua National Monument / Willcox, Arizona 1-15-2020 / 4.2 miles / 719 ft gain

Located 35 miles southeast of Willcox, AZ this small National Monument is tucked away within Chiricahua Mountains. Rising to 9,763 feet this park is characterized as a sky island and is home to 1,200 species of plants. Plants and animals from four different ecosystems call this range home.

A birdwatchers paradise

In addition to the great plant diversity the sky island is a hot spot for birder as includes many Mexican Species that make this their northern limit. In other words, this sky island environment is one of the few places that these species can be see within the United States. As an avid birdwatcher it is an exciting opportunity.

Unique mammals

There are also unique mammals that live within the park boundary including the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel – which is only found in these mountains- the elusive Coatimundi, the Arizona White-tail deer the black-tailed rattlesnake and the mountain spiny lizard.

Geology

If geology is your thing then you won’t be disappointed as the park hosts an unlimited number of unique geological features. Virtually everywhere you drive or walk you are treated to spires, balancing rocks, and arches, which I would say is the main attraction.

Hiking opportunities abound

Chiricahua offers an abundance of hiking opportunities. During my visit I walked three trails. The Massai Nature Trail, The Echo Canyon LoopTrail and a portion of the Bonita Creek Trail.

Hiking the Echo Canyon Loop Trail

For the purpose of this blog I will focus on the Echo Canyon Loop trail that actually is the combination of three trails; Echo Canyon, Hailstone and the Ed Riggs Trail.

As mentioned in the video above the ranger at visitor center highly recommended to at least hike to the “Grottos”. So based on her recommendation I attacked the loop in a counter clockwise direction and the closest route to the grottos.

The trail to the grottos was very level with very little elevation gain. If anything I slightly lost elevation. Per the sign at the trailhead it was a 1 mile hike to the grottos.

The Grottos

The Grottos as well described by the ranger are formations where the spires appear to have broken off and fallen on each other creating “tunnels” or “hallways” through the rock formations. It is a neat area and there are several side trails to weave your way in and out of the grottos.

I briefly checked out a few of these passage ways before continuing down the trail.

From here the trail began a steep decent laced with switchbacks that lead me to the canyon floor. The path remained wide and well maintained but I quickly realized that I was glad to be going down rather than coming up. Whether you are going up or down the views are fantastic.

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There was some snow on the trail once inside the canyon which added to the beauty and provided a running stream at the bottom in what is named Echo Park.

From Echo Park the trailed levels off a bit and continued till it takes a sharp left turn onto the Hailstone Trail. At the turn the trail splits. If you follow the right split you will join the Lower Rhyolite Canyon Trail which eventually leads back to the Visitor Center. You could also use it to connect with the Sarah Deming Trail and see some of the named geologic features of the park. Due to time of day I decided to take the shorter Hailsone Trail and eventually return to the parking lot.

3 major trails create the loop

The Hailstone Trail is relatively level and follows the contour along the side of mountain. In fact the elevation at the split is 6330 feet and over .8 miles it only rises to 6400 feet. This section of the trail places you at the base of many of the stone features while providing a view of the canyon below.

In .8 miles the trail splits again. From here you can go left and end at the Massai Nature Trail and the end of the scenic drive or take the left trail and return to the parking lot where the Echo Canyon Loop starts. As you can see by the picture below the trails are well marked with large wooden signs providing directions and distance.

I chose to go left and return to the parking area. From here to the parking lot is the most significant uphill climb. It is gradual and only .4 miles to the top so if you take your time and stop to enjoy the view it will be a piece of cake.

This is a great hike for any level of skill, age and ability. I would recommend that if you want an easier route to hike the loop in a counter clockwise motion. If you are a fitness buff and want to work on Cardio than hike it clock wise.

You will love the sites and if hiking in spring I am sure you will enjoy seeing a lot of flower, birds and other creatures. If you are in SE Arizona take a day or two to loose track of time in the Chiricahua Mountains there is a lot to see!

Slow-Lee Hiking