Heart of Rocks Loop; Sugarloaf Mountain, 7,310'; Chiricahua National Monument

Essence: The Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona is the largest range in the Sky Island province. The Monument is but a small portion of the traditional homeland of the Chiricahua Apache, a band of the Apache Nation. The circuit described begins at the head of Echo Canyon and links eight trails passing through the greatest concentration of "standing up rocks," the Apache descriptor for the columns, pinnacles, and balanced rocks. Marvel at the whimsical, wondrous, and artistic Earth. For a far-and-wide perspective on the Monument and its regional context, ascend to the historic Sugarloaf Mountain Lookout. Strong hikers can do the Heart of Rocks circuit, including Massai Point, and Sugarloaf Mountain in one day. There are many possible configurations for hiking in the Monument. Stop by the Visitor Center for maps and advice. The Chiricahua National Monument, established in 1924, is administered by the National Park Service. Most of the territory (87,700 acres) is designated as the Chiricahua Wilderness, everything but the road system. All of the land is within the Coronado National Forest.

Travel: From Willcox, drive southeast on AZ 186 for 32 miles. Turn east on AZ 181. The highway ends at the entrance station in 3 miles. There are no entrance fees. Measure distance from there. Continue straight on Bonita Canyon Drive. Parking for the Visitor Center, water, and restrooms is on the right in 2.0 miles. Proceed east, winding up through a corridor of towers. For Echo Canyon and Sugarloaf Mountain trailheads, hook a sharp right at 7.1 miles. (The road ends at Massai Point at 8.0 miles.) At 7.2 miles turn left for Echo Canyon. Parking for Sugarloaf is another 0.4 mile up the road. 

Bonita Canyon Campground: The reservation-only campground has 23 streamside sites under a canopy of sycamore trees. Running water, picnic tables. Reserve through Recreation.gov. The Monument is an International Dark Sky Park. 

Distance and Elevation Gain: Heart of Rocks Loop, 8.8 miles; 1,900 feet. Add Massai Point, 1.0 mile; 240 feet. Sugarloaf Mountain, 2.0 miles; 500 feet.
Total Time: Heart of Rocks, 3:00 to 6:00; Sugarloaf, 1:00 to 1:30
Difficulty: Trail; navigation easy, well signed junctions; Class 2 with stone steps; no exposure; carry all the water you will need. Pets are not allowed on trails.
Maps: Rustler Park; Cochise Head, AZ 7.5' USGS Quads
Latest Date Hiked: December 7, 2025
Quote: Now, why are you here? I'll tell you why you're here. You've been put here because the universe exists. There's no use the universe existing, if there isn't someone there to see it. Your job is to see it. Your job is to witness. To witness; to understand; to comprehend and to celebrate! To celebrate with your lives. At the end of your life, if you [...] look back and realize that you did not celebrate, then you wasted it. Ray Bradbury

 

The standing stones of Echo Canyon are so enthralling every passerby gapes in astonishment. I have spun around this circuit three times over 20 years and with every visit my wonderment and awe expands. (Thomas Holt Ward, photo)

Route: Hike the loop counterclockwise for the most favorable light on rock formations. This is important for photographers, especially in winter months. From the Echo Canyon Trailhead descend southwest to the Upper Rhyolite Trail, and continue on the biggest drop of the hike into Rhyolite Canyon. Follow the creek downstream and ascend west to the junction with the Sarah Deming Trail. Hook sharply south and ascend up the namesake canyon to the junction with the Heart of Rocks Loop. Circle clockwise on the loop within a loop and then hike east on the Big Balanced Rock Trail to the highpoint of the circuit at 7,060 feet. Descend back into Rhyolite Canyon on the Mushroom Rock Trail. Bearing north, climb 440 feet back to the trailhead on the Ed Riggs Trail. Or, do the optional diversion east to Massai Point. For Sugarloaf Mountain, drive to the nearby trailhead. The trail bears west on the north side of the mountain and then hooks east to the summit. 

 

The sign posted at the Echo Canyon Trailhead, elevation 6,780 feet, details the 3.3 mile Echo Canyon Loop. This is a viable alternative for those looking for a two hour hike. Heart of Rocks Loop isn't mentioned on the sign but this is the proper starting point for it.  

  

The trail splits almost immediately. We dropped southwest on the Echo Canyon Trail. For Massai Point, or to do the circuit clockwise, go left on the Ed Riggs Trail.  

The trail starts high with good visuals. Look north and spot the fire lookout on top of Sugarloaf Mountain's bell-shaped curve. The peak doesn't inspire fascination but it makes up for it by its placement as a centralized observation point. (THW, photo) 

On the other hand, Cochise Head commandeers both incredulity and reverence. Located in the northern sector of the range, volcanic stone has been fashioned by erosion and weathering into the form of a human face gazing skyward. The peak is accessed through the Monument but lies outside the park in Coronado National Forest. To say that achieving the airy summit is difficult is an understatement. (THW, photo) 

In 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps began improving the road and building trails and structures within the Monument. Their signature is evident in broad stone staircases, retaining walls artfully crafted, religious adherence to grade control, and intentional alignment so hikers would see the most compelling rock features. Watch for balanced rocks right from the start. The pair shown below are particularly baffling given the sharp edges and rectangular shape of the cap rock. (THW, photo) 

I felt a sense of intimacy in the company of the smooth rock beings surrounding us. The treescape cohabitating with the rock is complimentary. Initially, prominent species included alligator juniper, Arizona oaks, Mexican piñon, madrone, manzanita, Arizona cypress, and Apache pine. (THW, photo) 

 

Wow! Insane! A singular blobhead. (THW, photo) 

 

Some stones cry out for a love pat.

 

Stacked boulders are partnered for a time. We are so fortunate to be present at this stage in their development. 

(THW, photo) 

 

Walking on bedrock is such a pleasure. This hike is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Half a mile down the trail are the Grottoes. The tunnel-like formations are fun for families to explore. Introduce your children to Earth magic. (THW, photo) 

 

Past the Grottoes, wind down, way down on a circular stone staircase. It is remarkable that the CCC found a path through this Earth maze, so tangled and dense. (THW, photo) 

How did these great masses of tall and narrow, uniquely shaped pillars and spires evolve? In short, 27 million years ago the Turkey Creek Volcano exploded and buried 1,200 square miles in magma up to 2,000 feet thick. The ash welded to form Rhyolite Canyon Tuff. Cooling and uplifting created joints in the rock. Over time, water penetrated the cracks dissolving minerals and washing away softer rock. Wedging from the freezing and thawing of ice (and plant roots) widened cracks. And finally, weathering softened the angular forms into rounded elegance. (THW, photo) 

 

A small side canyon joins Echo Canyon at Echo Park. Cross the ephemeral stream at 1.3 miles, 6,300 feet. Still water in pools reflected an array of trees typically found in narrow riparian corridors. In December we did not see blooming wildflowers but we did see a strong variety of seedheads. The Visitor Center has a checklist of 740 plant species in the Monument.

 

On my first hike in 2005 I wrote on my map "best rocks" in two places. One was the north wall of Echo Canyon. For here, great masses of standing rocks form a concentrated congregation of enchantment. (THW, photo) 

Arrive at the junction with the Hailstone Trail at 1.7 miles on a south-facing slope hosting yucca, agave, pricklypear, rabbitbrush, and hedgehog cactus. The Echo Canyon Trail ends there and hikers have two choices. If for any reason you need to return to the trailhead (we ran into a couple who forgot to pack water) go east on the Hailstone and then north on the Ed Riggs to complete the Echo Canyon Loop. For the circuit as described, follow the sign for the Upper Rhyolite Canyon Trail.  

 

Contact the floor of Rhyolite Canyon at 2.1 miles, 6,040 feet. The footpath heads downcanyon, crossing and recrossing the streamway, typical for constricted canyons. All the crossings are formal and gorgeous with rock steps and retaining walls rimming the banks. It is shady, cool, and easy on the feet walking on forest duff. This is an interlude of a different kind of peaceful beauty and a break from the sensate overload standing stones inevitably bestow. 

Pause and study the exactitude and artistic appeal of a creekside wall built by CCC stonemasons, form and function united. (THW, photo) 

The trail reaches the low point of the hike at 5,860 feet and ascends gently due west on the south wall of Rhyolite Canyon. For almost 100 years stone placed by the CCC has held back a talus field on a pitched slope. This is truly an amazing and admirable feat. (THW, photo) 

At 2.8 miles hook a sharp left onto the Sarah Deming Trail. Do not miss this turn or you will end up at the Visitor Center! Heart of Rocks Loop is signed for the first time, 1.6 miles further on.  

 

The Sarah Deming ascends southeast on a shelf cleaved into the west slope of the eponymous canyon. The trail platform is held in place by massive blocks. Look way down on the forest floor decorated with weathered boulders, pine needles, and tall trees. Looking north let your eyes drift from the dense population of Echo Canyon spires to the lookout on Sugarloaf Mountain. (THW, photo) 

  

Cross the canyon at 4.1 miles, switch northward, and climb up the other side through a landscape strewn with gigantic boulders. At 6,620 feet, we were on an extensive staircase, once again at the base of the clusters of towers. Step after step, the risers were three to four boulders wide. This pathway was made for kings and queens mounting to their castle. (THW, photo) 

Top out at 6,780 feet. The Sarah Deming ends at the junction with the Heart of Rocks Loop and Big Balanced Rock Trail at 4.5 miles. This location is marked with one of the most frequently photographed balanced rocks in the Monument. Small wonder. (THW, photo) 

Heart of Rocks Loop is a roughly one-mile diversion. It's optional, yes, but it'd be a shame to miss the Earth's masterful sculptures highlighted on the loop. Hike north for a tenth of a mile and hang a sharp left as directed by a sign close to the ground, image-right. This turn is easy to miss. Go clockwise as directed to see the posted signs for various features and creatures. 

Climb up big stone steps and sloped bedrock. Ecstasy! 

I'm only showing a select few of the formations named on the loop. Pass by fantastical Pinnacle Balanced Rock. This is the most baffling oddity for my mind.  

Humans consistently have a need to anthropomorphize rocks by naming them. Part of the fun, I guess. We threaded our way amongst the big blocks. Thor's Hammer is the most phallic edifice of all.

 

Punch and Judy was a British puppet show dating back to 1662 featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. They had a contentious relationship. (THW, photo) 

Look north over a spirited landscape, empty of humanity, resting in raw vulnerability. As Craig Childs once said, "I have never been a separate creature from the land. I have always been the land." We are more than observers of the Earth. We are the Earth. We must ask ourselves how can we reciprocate? How can we take better care of our beloved landscapes?

 

At the apex of the Dos Cabezas Mountains, twin stone monoliths protrude mightily from the small, wooded range. A long climb requiring almost continuous effort culminates in an ecstatic Class 4 scramble, one of the best in the whole state. 

Look at the perfection of Cochise Head. We are so fortunate to be here in this moment, Earth having patiently sculpted his form over time.

 

Close the loop. Zowie! That was such great fun. As a fleet-footed runner said as she dashed by, "I feel like I'm in a Road Runner cartoon." Back at the junction at 5.5 miles, head east on the Big Balanced Rock Trail. 

The statistics for the massive stone teetering on its alarmingly skinny pedestal are detailed on a sign.  

Trek on a broad rise of land and effortlessly roll over the high point of the circuit at 7,060 feet. The extended vista includes much higher peaks in the Chiricahua Wilderness. 

 

Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir thrive on a subtle north-facing slope at the head of Totem Canyon.

We passed by the Inspiration Point Trail at 6.5 miles. It is a relatively flat one mile out-and-back. We segued onto the Mushroom Rock Trail, crossed Hunt Canyon and headed north downcanyon. The next one mile has a collection of among the most fascinating and mind-bending pinnacles on the circuit. The creek crossings constructed by the CCC are astounding and regal. 

 

Reach the confluence with Rhyolite Canyon at 7.0 miles. If you study the topo map you'll see that Rhyolite cuts from east to west right through the loop. A sign points out Mushroom Rock poised on a delicate spindle. Check out the spectacular clusters of rock features high on the west wall of Rhyolite. (THW, photo) 

The drop ends at 6,380 feet and begins climbing back to the trailhead. A gorgeous rack of pillars signifies an upcoming junction. (THW, photo) 

 

At  7.7 miles, the Mushroom Rock Trail ends at the junction with the Hailstone and Ed Riggs trails. Pause and look south across Rhyolite Canyon to locate the Totem Pole, perhaps the most confounding spire in the Monument. Below, it is glowing intensely, emblazoned by the low-angle winter sun. (THW, photo) 

The Ed Riggs Trail ascends a north tributary of Rhyolite Canyon. Ed Riggs grew up on a ranch in Sulphur Springs Valley. At age nine he climbed Sugarloaf Mountain and explored the pinnacles as a young man. He helped out at Faraway Ranch. Importantly, he engineered the construction of both the Sugarloaf Mountain and Echo Canyon trails. 

Below, I'm moving up the Ed Riggs just beyond the junction with the Mushroom Rock and Hailstone trails. The Ed Riggs is an easy-going path with a gradual grade. (THW, photo)

Each standing stone has its own characteristics and peculiarities. This is the flat side of a blade on the Ed Riggs. 

(THW, photo) 

If you are foregoing Massai Point, pass the turnoff at 8.4 miles. The loop concludes grandly with stone steps winding up through sheets of bedrock. Close the loop and walk a few paces north to the trailhead. What an enchanting hike!

 

Massai Point, 6900'

With a rise of 120 feet, Massai Point is not a ranked summit. The optional trek on the Nature Trail to the highpoint adds one mile and 240 feet. (Alternatively, you may drive to Massai Point at the end of the park road.) Massai was a member of the Chiricahua Apache band. He had a reputation for being the wildest and last fighting Apache. He jumped from a prison train carrying him to Florida and walked 1,500 miles back to his homeland. Legend has it, at one time Massai had several thousand soldiers and civilians after him. He was taken down in an ambush in the 1860s.

The Massai Point Trail ascends south above the Ed Riggs. There are yet more wonderful rock anomalies. Once you are on the Nature Trail there are many educational placards. My favorite feature was a stone island with a remarkable reinforced bridge and staircase leading to a viewing instrument. (THW, photo) 

 

This old-school eyepiece hearkens back to a bygone era. Center it on a variety of features in the park. It will make you giggle, I promise. 

Information on select areas was stamped onto a metal strip. This image tells a bit about Heart of Rocks and Totem Pole. "It is 137 feet tall and is but 3 feet in diameter at one point near its base." 

 

Sugarloaf Mountain, 7,310' 

This sweet little trip is for those of you who, like me, haven't hiked unless you climbed a mountain. The trailhead is handy, the trail is Class 1, and the effort is small enough to tack it onto the beginning or end of Heart of Rocks Loop. The footpath begins on the east side of the mountain, elevation 6,820 feet, sweeps around on the north slopes and ascends the west ridge. 

 

Walking is easy on a crushed rock trail with a controlled grade. We started our hike early in the day when the morning moon blessed stone illuminated with sunflexed light. (THW, photo) 

We were delighted and surprised by a 15-foot-long CCC-crafted pedestrian tunnel drilled into the mountain's flank at 0.2 mile. (THW, photo) 

Here's another perspective from the uphill side on our return. (THW, photo) 

The wide walking platform is bounded by the wall of the mountain on the west and a steep slope drilling down into a south fork of Bonita Canyon on the east. Pinnacles capture attention and draw the eye upward to ever-present Cochise Head. 

Exfoliated angular blocks putting the squeeze on the trail must have fallen after construction. 

Moments later, a swooping wall composed of ash flow tuff is smooth as can be.  

 

The mountain casts an extended shadow to the north in winter. In December we embraced the chill and looked across the tawny, flat-floored Willcox Playa to the Dragoon Mountains.

The CCC crew took their water bars seriously.  

This is a short hike and soon enough, we were walking south into the sun. It felt so good. The trail makes quick work of the subtle west ridge adorned with beargrass, manzanita, soaptree yucca, agave, native grasses, and alligator juniper. Arrive on the elongated broad summit ridge at 1.0 mile after not quite 500 feet of ascent. The Sugarloaf benchmark placed in 1934 is on the west side of the lookout. (THW, photo) 

Sugarloaf Mountain Lookout is a 14 by 14-foot square building constructed by the CCC in 1935. Sugarloaf is linked with the Barfoot Lookout on Buena Vista Peak to the southeast for coverage of the Monument as well as adjacent Chiricahua Mountains. (THW, photo) 

 

The lookout was locked but peer inside to see the Osborne Fire Finder, a type of alidade (turning board) used by fire watchers to find a directional bearing (azimuth) to smoke. (THW, photo) 

 The Sugarloaf Mountain Lookout is listed in the National Historic Lookout Register.

The Sugarloaf rise isn't remarkable but it is a respectable 661 feet. Regardless, the view is all-encompassing of the Monument and range. I spent a little time walking from one end of the ridge to the other to gain a better understanding of the Monument and Chiricahua Mountains. Morning winter light does not serve this photo well but most of the circuit described above is visible. Rhyolite Canyon is the deep cut flowing east to west across the center of the image. Echo Canyon runs on this side of Rhyolite. Sarah Deming runs from south to north, image-right. Heart of Rocks is up high on the wedge between Rhyolite and Deming. Just off-image on the left, Bonita Canyon Drive tops out on Massai Point. 

  

Standing Up Rocks flare in every direction. The cluster shown is on the north side of the Bonita Canyon gorge. The signature landmark for this region, Dos Cabezas, is highly visible from scattered sky islands in southeastern Arizona and cross-country travelers on I-10. 

In his commencement address at California Institute of Technology in 2,000, science fiction writer Ray Bradbury told the graduates they were to celebrate the universe with their lives. Seeing the juxtaposition of ephemeral beargrass with Cochise Head sculpted over millennia, the celebration of the universe for me begins right here in this moment on planet Earth.