Chiracauhua National Monument, Wilcox, Arizona

We drove some 300+ miles today and were pretty tired by the time we got into AZ.  Chiracahua National Monument is close to the border of AZ and I have wanted to see this National Monument for a while now.  This area was part of the Cochise Stronghold, where Chief Chiracahua held out in the Dragoon Mountains with his people against the Army until he passed away in the 1800s.  He did not want to ever be found by the white man.  His warriors ran over his body so many times that it was buried deeply beyond recognition.  No one has ever found his body.  

The Monument has a very unique geology that is the result of superheating and cooling of lava, combined with wind and water action.  When you are standing at Massai Point above the valley of the Monument, you feel like you are looking at thousands of soldiers standing at attention, yet they are the rocks and hoodoos, which have resulted from the wind and water actions through the years. 

We drove down to Bonita Canyon Campground after a very long day, and I found a certain peacefulness to this campground that I would like to come back to.  It is definitely Fall here...the leaves crunch under your feet and the smell in the air is heavenly.  There are no flies or mosquitoes and you can sit outside just listening to the birds without being irritated by the buzz of insects.  

We did not have much time here and in the morning we were getting ready to leave, and my partner told me "there is a weird  animal over there in the wash with a long tail."  What?  I said "I can't believe I missed it.  What were they?"  He indicated they looked like monkeys, kinda like racoons, but with really furry faces.  Then I looked over to the wash, and they were poring out of the trees.  Coatimundis!  These creatures are native to this part of Arizona, but often a bit elusive.  Not so that day. Nearly 10 of them went scampering through the campsite.  This part of Arizona is the most northern portion of their range, which extends down through South America.  Really exciting for me to see a new species in the wild.  I ran over to the campsite and told the guy in it, "I am just borrowing your campsite for a few minutes." LOL and took about 100 pictures.  

You never know what you are going to see in these National Monuments.  I will be back to Chiracahua National Monument.  There are so many trails and other species  to explore there and it is only two hours from home.