Chiricahua National Monument is known for interesting hoodoos or pinnacles, or as the Apaches called them “standing-up rocks.” Visitors could see these amazing rock columns along the scenic drive. However, to actually appreciate and be immersed in the middle of this wonderland of rocks, you’ll need to hike in. And Heart of Rocks Loop Trail is one of the few trails that offer this amazing opportunity. In fact, the Heart of Rocks Loop Trail is one of the best trails in Chiracahua National Monument to see the most impressive rock formations. There are a few ways to get there, either from the Visitor Center or from Echo Canyon Trailhead. The Echo Canyon route is easier and with more views of rock formations. So, that’s what we’ll be doing today.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Echo Canyon Loop Trailhead
32.012000, -109.315917
Parking
Decent sized, paved parking lot in front of the trailhead
Restroom
There are vault toilets at the trailhead
Fee
It is free to enter!
Distance
7.2 mi R.T.
Elevation Gain
1,591 ft
Level
Hard
Time:
4 – 5 hours
Pet-friendly
Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail
Ideal Time
We recommend starting this hike early in the day. That way, you’ll have plenty of shades and enough time to explore and still get back before dark.
Weather
Video
Getting to the Trailhead
To get to the actual Heart of Rocks Loop Trail, you will need to take multiple connecting trails. To begin this adventure, we started at the Echo Canyon Trailhead. It is located almost at the end of Bonita Canyon Drive, the only road inside Chiricahua National Monument. The trailhead is at the end of the parking lot. You will be taking the Echo Canyon Loop Trail.
The Adventure
Getting to the Junction for Inspiration Point
Since we hiked to the Heart of Rocks Loop Trail as a part of the Big Loop Trail, we started our adventure from the Echo Canyon Loop Trailhead. The first section of this hike is to get to the junction for Inspiration Point, another awesome stop that you can do as part of the longer hikes or by itself as an out and back. Since we covered this Inspiration Point section of the trail extensively previously, we’ll summarize it here:
- About 0.1 miles from the parking it, you’ll find signs for Ed Riggs Trail. Follow them.
- After about 1 mile, the Ed Riggs Trail will end at a fork. From here, follow signs for Mushroom Rock Trail.
- About 1.2 miles, the Mushroom Rock Trail will turn into the Big Balanced Rock Trail. This is also where the junction for the detour to Inspiration Point is. It is a 1-mile roundtrip detour.
To Big Balanced Rock
After passing the junction for Inspiration Point, we followed the Big Balanced Rock Trail toward the Heart of Rocks Loop Trail. The first section of the trail was lined with pine trees and shrubs. As we hiked along, we came upon a really cool balanced rock on the right-hand side. This is not the one that this trail is named after. Nevertheless, it was pretty cool to see. If you want to, you could scramble close to it for a good photo. If you do, please don’t touch or carve on the rocks!
After leaving this unofficial balanced rock, the landscape becomes more interesting with more hoodoos and rock formations. About 1-mile on the Big Balanced Rock trail, we came upon one of our favorite sections of the whole Chiricahua National Monument. At this section, the trail weaves its way through impressive pinnacles and stone columns.
Big Balanced Rock Area
This is also the first spot along this trail where you can be immersed between these towering hoodoos. It was interesting to see these hoodoos up close. As hoodoos, they are very different than their famous cousins at Bryce Canyon. The ones at Bryce Canyon National Park are made up of limestone with the presence of iron oxide minerals, hence the red and orange colors. Meanwhile, the hoodoos at Chiricahua National Monument are mostly composed of Rhyolite volcanic rock, which gives them a gray-taupe color. However, what makes them extra unique is the green lichen growing on them. In a certain, these lichens can either be bright lime green or have a sparkling golden green hue to them. It was quite mesmerizing to see.
In the middle of this stunning hoodoo section, we spotted a huge boulder, balancing on its point in the distance, at the left side of the trail. To confirm our suspicion, there is a sign stating that it is the official balanced rock. This balanced rock is close enough so you could get a very good picture of it, but far enough that you can’t get close to it. After leaving the Balanced Rock, we continued to weave our way through the giant rock columns for a short distance, before arriving at the junction for the Heart of Rocks Loop Trail. We went right to start our loop through Heart of Rocks.
Heart of Rocks Loop Trail
The Heart of Rocks Loop Trail is a 1-mile lollipop loop trail through the heart of Chiricahua National Monument. This means that we had to hike down a short distance before starting our loop. This short section is mostly downhill through a forest of trees. It can be a bit slippery so make sure to watch your step. At the bottom of the trail, we found a small sign to start our loop.
From this point, the trail ascends through rock steps and small sections of scrambling. The Heart of Rocks Loop trail is a lot more rugged than the other trails. Certain parts of the trail are not as defined but it’s not that hard to find your way. As we hiked, the trail snaked between tall rock walls and boulders. It was very unique. Along the way, we came across multiple interesting rock formations. There are a few official ones that have names such as Old Maid, Camel Head, or Kissing Rocks.
The Way Back
When you’re finished with the Heart of Rocks Loop and get back to the junction, you can either:
- Return the same way you came from,
- Continuing toward the Visitor and taking the shuttle back to Echo Canyon Trailhead. If you’re doing the Visitor Center route, make sure that the shuttle is running or has a second car to take you back.
- Making this into the Big Loop.
We highly recommend doing this as the loop. It’s not that much further than returning back, maybe an additional 0.8 miles or so. For easier hikes here, you can try Echo Canyon Grottoes. If you love hoodoos, we recommend checking Navajo Loops to Queens Garden in Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s beautiful!
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
This is our favourite hiking shoes. We use them for canyoneering as well. Lots of traction. Vy’s version.
Dustin’s version for La Sportiva shoes
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
