Bonita Creek Trail to Faraway Ranch - Chiricahua National Monument
Happy Monday friends! This week we’re exploring inside Chiricahua National Monument while on a Southern Arizona road trip. and we’re taking an easy hike filled with beautiful views, abundant wildlife, and rich history. Join me along the Bonita Creek Trail to Faraway Ranch.
If you’re new to Chiricahua and are planning a trip to Southern Arizona, make sure to head on over to my First-Timers Guide to Chiricahua National Monument and my Complete Guide to Visiting Bisbee after enjoying this post 😊
Faraway Ranch in Chiricahua National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument is located in the southeast corner of Arizona and it makes a perfect day trip from Bisbee (about an hour and a half away) or Tucson (two hours away). The park measures in at only 18 square miles, but it has an abundance of hiking trails and history to explore. With an elevation ranging from 5000 to 7000 feet above sea level, Chiricahua National Monument is considered one of the state’s “sky islands”, and it often experiences much cooler weather than other parts of Arizona. President Calvin Coolidge named Chiricahua a national monument on April 18, 1924, and this monument status continues to protect the area's unique hoodoos and balancing rocks often referred to as a “wonderland of rocks.”
Bonita Creek Loop at the trailhead for Bonita Creek Trail
Bonita Creek Trail in Chiricahua National Monument
Bonita Creek in Chiricahua National Monument
Bonita Creek Trail
Situated at the west end of Chiricahua National Monument, the Bonita Creek trailhead can be easily reached near the entrance of the monument. Simply head half a mile on East Bonita Canyon Road and park in the parking lot on the left. From the Bonita Creek parking lot, the trail passes a picnic area, as well as the short Bonita Creek Loop (0.2 mile), leading you out beside Bonita Creek. The packed dirt and gravel trail is about a mile out and back with just over 50 feet in elevation change, making it an easy, family-friendly hike. Picnic benches can be found at both ends of the trail for guests to take a moment and relax. Along this hike, you pass a variety of trees and stroll beside the creek, which can run dry during the hot summer months or flow with force after a heavy winter rain.
Faraway Ranch House in Chiricahua National Monument
Faraway Ranch grounds in Chiricahua National Monument
Faraway Ranch & History
On the east end of Bonita Creek Trail, you can explore the Faraway Ranch Historic District, which only adds another half mile to the round-trip journey. Faraway Ranch was once home to Swedish immigrants, Emma and Neil Erickson. Emma Peterson bought a two-room cabin in 1886. After she and Neil Erickson married, they settled on the 160-acre homestead & had three children, Lillian, Ben, and Hildegard. Neil became the first ranger for the Chiricahua Forest Reserve in 1903. Neil and Emma's daughter, Lillian, married Ed Riggs in 1923 and Faraway Ranch began welcoming more visitors. Guests could explore the grounds, swim in the pool, or relax with a book. There was birdwatching, hiking, and they could take their picnic lunch up to the Wonderland of Rocks by horseback. As you stroll the grounds today, you’ll find the main ranch house, exhibit buildings, barns, and other ranch structures still standing...and don’t be surprised to see the local wildlife roaming here too (more on that below).
After finishing your hike, make sure to drive over to the nearby Erickson Cemetery just inside the park entrance. Here you’ll find the final resting spots of the early pioneers that called this place home.
Erickson Cemetery in Chiricahua National Monument
Faraway Ranch buildings and footbridge in Chiricahua National Monument
Indigenous History
Since the 1400s, Chiricahua Apache’s lived in and around the Chiricahua mountains. They hunted, gathered, and were known as great warriors. Tragically in the late 1800s, they suffered repeated invasions and ultimately were relocated by the US government to reservations in Oklahoma and New Mexico. Take time to read the multiple interpretive panels at Faraway Ranch that share about the history of this area, including information on the local tribes who called this land home for centuries. You can also learn more about the creation of Chiricahua National Monument before you head back on the Bonita Creek Trail to your vehicle.
Chiricahua wildlife near Bonita Creek
Wildlife
Chiricahua National Monument is abundant with wildlife, and the Bonita Creek area is one of the best places in the park to view the local fauna. During my recent visit, deer were abundant in the morning and evening. I also got to enjoy seeing large groups of coati, javelina, and wild turkey. The name “Chiricahua” is actually an Opata word for the wild turkeys that once thrived in these mountains. Unfortunately, they were hunted to local extinction in this region by the early 1900s...however, in the 1990s wild turkeys were reintroduced to the Chiricahua Mountains and surrounding region, and their numbers have quickly grown ever since. With almost 200 species of birds recorded in the park, birders are also sure to enjoy a trip to Chiricahua National Monument.
Faraway Ranch House in Chiricahua National Monument
Know Before You Go
• Please remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. Pack out everything you pack in and stay on the designated paths. If you’re not familiar with the Leave No Trace Principles, consider familiarizing yourself with them before your trip. Please help leave this special place better than you found it so its natural beauty can be enjoyed for years to come.
• Roads and trails can close occasionally in winter months due to snowy and icy conditions and the summer heat can be oppressive at times, so make sure check the weather before your trip as well as current park conditions on the official NPS website here.
• Black bears are present in the Chiricahua Mountains, so never leave food out or unattended, including in your vehicle.
• Admission to the park is free, and gates are open 24/7.
• This is a great location for stargazing and astrophotography. In fact, in 2021, the National Park Service and the International Dark Sky Association announced that Chiricahua National Monument would be named the 104th International Dark Sky Park.
• Make sure to head into the nearby Visitor Center to chat with a park ranger and to view informative displays, including models of the historic Faraway Ranch.
• Docent led tours have been offered inside Faraway Ranch, but the grounds are currently undergoing extensive renovations. There is no estimated completion date, so make sure to check the official NPS page here for the most up-to-date progress. You are, however, still free to roam around the exterior of buildings.
Top 10 Things to Do in Southern Arizona
Tombstone
Coronado National Memorial
Picacho Peak State Park
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Pima Air & Space Museum
Faraway Ranch display inside the Chiricahua Visitor Center
In Summary
Thanks so much for joining me this week in Chiricahua National Monument. For a virtual visit of this park, make sure to watch my Behind the Blog video at the top of this post, or watch it on YouTube here. Until next week, I hope you find adventure and encouragement where you go!
Faraway Ranch inside Chiricahua National Monument
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About Me
I’m Dawn Marie, a travel and lifestyle blogger based out of Southern California. With in-depth articles, travel guides, and reviews on hotels & products, I seek to share my journeys to help you plan for your own. My adventures take me all over California, the western United States, and around the globe...and every Monday I post new content here, including a comprehensive blog post and YouTube video.
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What are the best spots for photography? Today I'm sharing my Top 10 Photo Spots in Chiricahua National Monument. Chiricahua has some of the most unique landscapes, rock formations, and wildlife found in southern Arizona. Whether you're looking for a great backdrop for a family picture or you're a pro photographer, this travel guide will help you find the beautiful views found in this epic park.