CHIRICAHUA BIG LOOP (UI)

Date:		March 20,2024			Destination:		Big Loop
Level:		UI			Area:		Chiricahua National Mounument
Approx hike distance in miles:		9			Hike leader:		Bruce Odegaard
Low to high elevation gain:		1420			Hike leader phone:		(206) 396-5472
Accum elevation gain in feet:					Hike leader email:		bodegaard1@aol.com
Departure time - Union Center parking lot:					Please arrive 10 minutes early to check in
Recommended gas donation:		$10
Unpaved miles:					Park entry fee per vehicle:		Yes, per car or National Park Pass
Road conditions:		Good			Website for reference info:		https://nps.gov/chir/index/htm.
High clearance vehicle req'd:		No			Trailhead GPS coordinates:		32.0054'N,109.3535'W
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Maintained Trail:		Yes			Uneven Footing:		Yes
Steep Side Drop-offs:		No			Steep Trail:		Yes
Off Trail (scratchy):		No			Slippery Trail Surfaces:		No
Use of Hands Required:		No			Boulder Hopping:		No
Difficulty :		Moderate			Water Crossings:		No
Restrooms at Trailhead:		Yes			Gloves Required:		No

Special Instructions:

This hike is filled with exciting views around every corner. Don’t let the elevation scare you. It’s not an elevation gain but an elevation decrease. The hike will be mostly downhill with a few uphill spots mixed in. The loop is really a figure eight. It consists of the Echo, Hailstone, Mushroom Rock, Balanced Rock, Heart of Rocks Loop, and Sarah Deming trails. Please note that there is no gas near the monument, so gas up in Wilcox. Bring snacks and water.

Directions:

Beginning at the Holiday Inn Express in Willcox, 1251 Virginia Avenue.  Head W on North Circle I Road toward Virginia Avenue. Turn left on Virginia Avenue. In .2 miles, turn left onto Fort Grant Rd. In 1.3 miles turn right onto AZ 186 E/N Haskell Avenue(signs for I-10 Business) In .7 miles turn left onto AZ 186 E/E Maley Street.  Follow AZ 186 for 31 miles.  Turn left onto AZ 181 E and continue 5.2 miles.  Turn right to stay on Bonita Canyon Road.  Enter the Chiricahua National Monument Visitor Center.