Chiricahua: America’s Newest National Park
| ADVENTURE DETAILS |
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| TRIP DATES: April 4 – 9, 2027 |
| LOCATION: Southeastern Arizona, USA |
| PRICE: $2,995 |
Chiricahua: trip facts
A 6-day women-only adventure in southeastern Arizona’s “Wonderland of Rocks,” with easy to moderate daily hikes, historic Tombstone and artsy Bisbee, wine tasting, stargazing and most meals included.
| Group size | Small group, max 8 women |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 days / 5 nights |
| Price | $2,995 per person, double occupancy. |
| Activity level | 3 of 5: easy to moderate daily hikes of about 2–5 miles (Echo Canyon Loop, Sugarloaf Mountain, Cave Creek Canyon). Hiking in Chiricahua is at elevation, roughly 5,000 to 7,300 feet, so you may feel short of breath on the climbs. We take it at a comfortable pace with plenty of breaks, and staying well hydrated helps. |
| Upcoming dates | Apr 4–9, 2027 |
| Starts / ends | Starts 1:30pm at Tucson International Airport (TUS); ends after breakfast on day 6 at our Tucson airport hotel, with a shuttle to TUS. |
| Included | Lodging, all meals from day 1 dinner to day 6 breakfast, ground transportation from Tucson airport, guided activities and tours, entrance fees |
| Traveling solo? | No need for a single room: we pair you with a roommate. Limited private rooms available, +$850. |
Women’s Adventure Tour to Chiricahua
Chiricahua is on its way to becoming America’s newest national park, and we can’t wait to show it to you! The Chiricahua Apache called it the Land of Standing-Up Rocks; early settlers called it the Wonderland of Rocks. It’s an otherworldly maze of volcanic spires, balanced rocks and hidden grottos rising out of the southeastern Arizona desert, one of the region’s famous “sky islands.” We’ll hike the best of the park in the cool spring air, explore Cave Creek Canyon (a birder’s paradise), sip our way through Willcox wine country and stargaze under some of the darkest skies in the country. Then we’ll stroll the Old West streets of Tombstone and spend a night in quirky, artsy Bisbee before a farewell dinner in Tucson. Daily hikes are easy to moderate, about 2–5 miles at 5,000 to 7,300 feet of elevation, leaving plenty of time for history, good food and lots of laughter. Come see it before the rest of the world catches on!
Chiricahua Activities at a Glance
Chiricahua Itinerary
Day 1
Your guide will meet you at 1:30pm at Tucson International Airport (TUS), so please grab lunch before we meet. We’ll head east into the high desert, stopping at Texas Canyon, where giant granite boulders are stacked like a sculpture garden, and the Amerind Museum, a gem of Native American art and history. Late afternoon we’ll check in to our hotel in Willcox and gather for our welcome dinner, our first meal together. Afterward, step outside for your first look at the stars. These are some of the darkest skies in the country!
Day 2
Today is all about the Wonderland of Rocks. We’ll drive the scenic Bonita Canyon Drive up to Massai Point for sweeping views over thousands of rock spires, then hike the Echo Canyon Loop (about 3.3 miles), winding through narrow grottos and towering hoodoos. It’s the heart of the park without the long mileage. After a picnic lunch, we’ll hike Sugarloaf Mountain (about 1.8 miles round trip) to a historic fire lookout with 360° views, then step back in time at Faraway Ranch, the pioneer homestead turned guest ranch at the mouth of Bonita Canyon. For those who want more miles, there’s an option to extend the morning hike out to the famous Heart of Rocks. Dinner tonight is in Willcox.
Day 3
This morning we’ll head to the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains and Cave Creek Canyon near Portal, with towering red cliffs, a sycamore-lined creek and some of the best birding in the United States. Spring brings hummingbirds and, if we’re lucky, the elusive elegant trogon. We’ll hike the South Fork Trail (an easy to moderate 3–4 miles), then enjoy lunch in tiny Portal. On our way back we’ll make an afternoon of Willcox wine country, one of Arizona’s best wine-growing regions, with tastings at a few of our favorite wineries. Cheers to that!
Day 4
After breakfast we leave the mountains for the Wild West. In Tombstone, “the town too tough to die,” we’ll stroll the boardwalks of Allen Street and visit the O.K. Corral and the Bird Cage Theatre before lunch. Then it’s on to Bisbee, a former copper-mining boomtown turned artists’ haven, tucked into the Mule Mountains. We’ll climb the town’s famous stairs, wander the galleries and shops and check in to our historic hotel. Dinner tonight is at one of Bisbee’s favorite local spots.
Day 5
This morning we’ll put on hard hats and ride a mine train deep underground on the Queen Mine Tour. After some last wandering in Bisbee, we head toward Tucson with a stop at Kartchner Caverns State Park for a guided tour of a spectacular living cave. Late afternoon we’ll check in to our Tucson hotel near the airport and freshen up for our farewell dinner, celebrating each other and this special time together.
Day 6
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before catching the hotel shuttle to Tucson International Airport (TUS). You’re free to book flights at any time today, or stay and play in Tucson!
What’s Included:
- 6 days/5 nights, fully guided tour by a Canyon Calling Trip Leader
- Accommodations: 3 nights in Willcox, 1 night in a historic Bisbee hotel and 1 night at a Tucson airport hotel, double occupancy
- All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 6
- Ground transportation from Tucson International Airport on Day 1, all land transportation as outlined in this itinerary and the hotel airport shuttle on Day 6
- All scheduled activities, tours and tastings listed in the itinerary
- All activity guide gratuities
- Entrance fees to all parks, museums and historic sites in the itinerary
What’s Not Included:
- Round-trip airfare to/from Tucson, AZ (TUS)
- Alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature
- Optional gratuity to your Trip Leader at the end of the tour
