Willcox and Chiricahua National Monument

Trip to Willcox and Chiricahua National Monument

Oct 8-10, 2019

Tuesday, October 8

• Drive to Willcox. About 220 miles and 3 ½ hours. Stop at the Texas Canyon Rest Area to take in the magnificent Dragoons.
• In Willcox, you could visit Tex Allen’s AZ Cowboy Museum (open 11-3, $2) or visit Willcox Playa Wildlife Area.
• Check into rooms at the Holiday Inn Express. Two queen beds and breakfast for $100, tax included. Call 520/384-3333 and tell them you are with the Sun City Photographers. There are 7 rooms with two queen beds on hold for our group. Each room has a refrigerator and microwave, so you might want to bring a lunch for the next day.
• Light dinner around 4:00 at Coronado Vineyards Wine Tasting & Tapas Lounge (open 9:30-5:30). Get a good night’s sleep in preparation for long day tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 9

• Leave the hotel by 8 a.m. Drive to Chiricahua National Monument – about a half-hour to Visitor Center.
• Drive up to Echo Canyon Parking area for photos. This takes about 15 minutes.
  • Optional 3.3 mile loop hike through the canyon, 500 feet elevation change. With photo ops, this should take about 3 hours.
  • Optional hike to see the Echo Canyon Grotto – 1 mile round trip (down and back). This should take about an hour, including taking pictures.
• Drive to Massai Point for picnic lunch with the group at noon. Also available is an easy ½ mile nature trail
• Drive to Sugarloaf Parking area for photos of Sugarloaf Mountain 7,300 feet.
• On the way out of the Monument, stop along the road to see China Boy, Sea Captain, and Organ Pipe formations. 
• After leaving the Monument, you can stop at Faraway Ranch for photos. Bonita Creek Trail is easy ½ mile walk.
• Optional tour after leaving the Monument – Portal, AZ, where half the bird species of North American birds can be seen in nearby Cave Creek Canyon.
• Optional tour after leaving the Monument – on the way back to Willcox, stop at the Willcox Playa Wildlife Area.
• Return to Willcox and meet at 6:30 for dinner at Big Tex BBQ. Other options include La Unica Tortilleria y Tacqueria, Isabel’s South of the border, and Double S Steakhouse.

Thursday, October 10

• After breakfast, do anything else you might want to do in the Willcox area.
• Meet for 12:00 lunch at Sawmill Run Restaurant in Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon outside Tucson. It is a two hour drive from Willcox.
• Have a safe drive home.

If you think you might be interested, please register below so we will have an idea for planning purposes.