The road eventually intersects State Route 186 and I turned (south). I arrived at the entrance to Chiricahua National Monument around 3:20 p.m., about an hour before the Visitor Center closes. I passed the former Faraway Ranch building with the intention of stopping when I returned.

The visitor center contained displays of the history, plants, animals, geology, and ecology of the area.

I took Bonita Canyon Drive to the rock formations. The first several miles are in a tree lined canyon, following a streambed. This introduction to the monument is rather irritating because the trees lining the road block most of the view of the canyon walls except for the few turnouts. As the road climbs higher and reaches the plateau, the view of the columns is stunning. There are a large number of columns, spires, and pinnacles visible on the canyon walls. Trails lead off from two parking areas to the formations. Unfortunately, the sun was dropping in the horizon and there was a haze in the air creating difficult picture taking opportunities for me. I was able to get a shot of a rock formation called Cochise Head because it supposedly looks like a profile view of Cochise. It looked like I had an hour of daylight before the sun set behind the hills so I did not visit the Faraway Ranch. I exited the Monument at 4:33 p.m. and turned left on State Route 181 towards Douglas, Arizona.