Portal Area: Nature Trail, Cathedral Vista, and Silver Peak

Weather:  79º, sun, hot

About this Hike:  After departing Chiricahua, we headed toward Arizona's Yosemite—Portal. This could be a 24 mile drive over FR-42 Pinery Canyon Road. However, with the RV, we needed to stick to the pavement. Staying on terra-firma took us on a two hour drive, across the New Mexico state line, and then back into Arizona. 

I wanted to camp at one of the first three campgrounds along Cave Creek Road in Portal. I was nervous these would be filled up with weekend warriors and had made Plans B, C, D, etc. I was very wrong. The campgrounds were near empty. We got a great spot at Stewart Campground. 

I chose Portal Nature Trail and Silver Peak because these have hike-out access from the campground. The nature trail is a relatively flat stroll through high desert riparian woodlands. Many of the trees and shrubs are labeled by placards. There is a cool old stone structure labeled as the 'Explosives Shack.' A utility line parallels much of the nature trail, which is slightly anti-climatic. 

We arrived at Silver Peak Trail and began our ascent up. It was hot and exposed juniper and grassland to start. As we wrapped around toward the north and west the tall mountain peaks cast some welcome respite on the trail. An occasional riparian drainage offered some tree shade as well. 

My hope on Silver Peak was to take in some views of the stunning mountains and rock formations that make Portal the "Yosemite of Arizona." It did not disappoint. 

With elevation and mileage stats close to Flagstaff's Humphrey's Peak, I would have loved to summit Silver Peak. With a late start, summiting wasn't possible today. We made it to Viewpoint #3 on the All Trails map and then called it good. This was just short of the three mile mark, with another two miles (and over 1,000 feet elevation gain) to go before the summit. Perhaps somedays I'll come back...

We also explored the Cathedral Vista Viewpoint (early Sunday morning) where we met the YouTuber behind the BackroadTrails channel. He was gathering some footage for an upcoming video on Portal. Cathedral Vista Trail unofficially continues past the viewpoint. In fact, following the unofficial trail led us right back to our campsite. Like literally, it ends right there at the Stewart Campground at the site we had selected. 

The guy behind the YouTube channel shared that he would continuing up FR-42 and overnighting at Pinery Canyon Campground—a remote dispersed camping area along this scenic mountain pass. I'll admit I was a little jealous. And therein lies the problem with this initial visit to Portal:  From South Fork, to FR-42, to the entire recreation area (and all the trails branching therein), one needs a high clearance vehicle. Cave Creek Road quickly turns to dirt. The South Fork road has a sign warning against taking an RV on it. 

When I return to Portal, it will be my with my Tacoma. Camping in the RV is great. In fact, I haven't warmed up to tent camping despite sinking thousands into fancy roof top tents and other equipment. But to enjoy all that the Portal area has to offer, one needs to be able to leave the pavement. 

Silver Spur & Faraway Ranch

Weather:  75º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  The Big Loop had been a long hike today. However, after dinner at camp, we decided on an evening stroll.

The Silver Spur Trail begins right in Bonita Creek Campground, meaning no need to move the RV. We followed the path through riparian meadows where more than a few pygmy-sized deer greeted us. 

We stopped at a historic cabin and then continued through the equally historic Faraway Ranch. Eventually we reached a parking lot near the park entrance. The trail continued from here as the Bonita Creek Trail. However, it was getting dark, so we opted to make the parking lot our turnaround point. 

Headlamps came out and we arrived back at camp just after dark. 

Silver Spur made for an enjoyable evening walk. 

Chiricahua Big Loop

Weather:  71º, clouds and wind, occasional sun

About this Hike:  The Big Loop is an All Trails route. It combines multiple trails and gives an excellent overview of the best Chiricahua has to offer.

We opted to park at Massai Point point, which is the end of the scenic drive. This hike may actually be easier parking at Echo Canyon as we had to use a short connector trail to get the loop started from Massai. 

Regardless, the trail took us through several canyons including Sarah Demming Canyon and Upper Rhyolite, both of which were lush with a flowing stream and tall pines. Big Loop also traverses Chiricahua's signature hoodoos, winds around teetering balanced rocks, and loops through Heart of the Rocks where various formations are given names denoted by signs. 

Like most [soon to be] national parks, Chiricahua has an Inspiration Point. This is an out-and-back side trail and we opted to skip it since it looked to offer views into a canyon we'd just climbed out of. 

Echo Canyon ended up being one of the best parts of this loop. The scary part is I almost skipped it. There is a junction and the sign says that both directions will take you back to Massai Point parking. If I had followed the Hailstone Trail it would've gotten me back to Massai, but I would've missed one of the best parts of Chiricahua. I am glad I opted to follow the Echo Canyon Trail.  In an area called 'The Grottos' you get to hike in between massive hoodoos and rock formations. In some parts it feels cave-like and there's a noticeable temperature drop.  In sunny clefts between the rocks, scraggly apache pine and other vegetation manage to grow skyward.

We topped out near the Echo Canyon parking lot, but had to use a short connector to get back to Massai. I would estimate this to be a nine mile hike and always along well-maintained trails. Maybe we just spent a lot of time stopping to observe the scenery, because it took about six hours to complete.

Chiricahua Natural Bridge

Weather:  70º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  After about five hours of driving we arrived at Chiricahua National Monument. Bonita Creek Campground will be home for the next couple of nights as we explore what may soon be Arizona's next national park. 

Since it was late in the day, I opted for a 'medium-duty' hike at the Natural Bridge Trail. There is a small parking area off the main road, but we had it to ourselves. Good thing too, because I recently acquired a small RV from Cruise America. Its a pre-production prototype of their new 'ultra-compact' model, and after they finished testing it, I picked it up for a good price. National park infrastructure is typically accommodating for those who use small RVs and vans as their primary exploration vehicle. 

The natural bridge hike starts in a riparian zone, climbs to high desert savanna, and then drops into another riparian area complete with apache pines, wildflower meadows, trickling streams, and plenty of mosquitos. 

The water and mosquitos are thanks to all the monsoon activity Arizona has enjoyed this summer. It also means that while these trails are well-maintained, there is some tall grass encroachment. Post-hike I did a thorough tick check even though I was wearing long pants. 

After just over two miles of hiking, the namesake natural bridge came into view. You can't get really close to it. A sign denotes the end of the trail at a viewpoint. I'd suggest binoculars and/or a zoom lens. 

This was a good inaugural hike to kick off our Chiricahua exploration.