Free Topo Maps of Chiricahua National Monument

Download free topo maps of Chiricahua National Monument. Use the adjoining 7.5 minute quadrangle legend to locate the Arizona maps you need.

Adjoining 7.5' Quadrangle Legend

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
  1. Northwest Topo Map: Bowie Mountain North, AZ
  2. North Topo Map: Little Wood Canyon, AZ
  3. Northeast Topo Map: Vanar NW, AZ
  4. West Topo Map: Bowie Mountain South, AZ
  5. Topo Map: Cochise Head, AZ
  6. East Topo Map: Blue Mountain, AZ
  7. Southwest Topo Map: Fife Peak, AZ
  8. South Topo Map: Rustler Park, AZ
  9. Southeast Topo Map: Portal, AZ
Map

Chiricahua National Monument

Chiricahua National Monument was established to protect and preserve the geologic wonder of rock formations located in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona. The Monument also preserves the history and cultures of the people that lived in this unique environment. The nearest town in proximity to the Monument is Wilcox, within Cochise County. This part of Arizona was home to Cochise, tribal leader of the Chiricahua Apache Indians, who were drawn into the Indian Wars of the 1800s during a time when settlers were encroaching upon their homeland. The Monument preserves the ancient geologic history, but also the history of those who lived here, which includes the inhabitants of Faraway Ranch, whose tenacity and love of the region prompted the establishment of Chiricahua National Monument. The forces that created this sublime landscape began twenty-seven million years ago, when a volcanic eruption covered this region with a strength that was one thousand times the magnitude of Mount St Helens during the 1980s. The erosive forces over the millennia left behind what has been called a "Wonderland of Rocks" spreading over some 12,000 acres, 87% of which is presently a wilderness area, to insure its preservation from any type of development in the future. Appropriately it was called the "Land of Standing-Up Rocks" by the Apache, due to the columns, spires, pinnacles and the amazing mammoth sized "standing" rocks. The mountains rise over nine thousand feet, with jagged peaks, forests in the valleys consisting of numerous trees, many types of plant and wildlife at the various levels, all amazingly embracing four disparate ecosystems that scientists call a "biological crossroads." The Chiricahua Mountains are also known as "sky islands" as they resemble the Madrean Archipelago, except that these islands are surrounded by hot desert grassland rather than the waters of an ocean. Stop at the Visitor Center for trail guides, a limited hikers' shuttle, ranger talks and more. Camping is also limited and backcountry camping is only allowed at the neighboring Coronado National Forest. There is also an eight mile scenic drive with beautiful views at Massai Point.