Weather: 71ยบ, 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.
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