Sight · Chiricahua National Park
The graves trace the families who made Bonita Canyon home.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Chiricahua Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Chiricahua National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Erickson Cemetery“Erickson Cemetery is ahead near the park entrance, a small burial ground for Bonita Canyon's early homesteaders. Stop for a few minutes if local history interests you.”
Plays as you drive up to Erickson Cemetery in the Parkwolf Chiricahua Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Erickson Cemetery is a small burial ground for early homesteaders of Bonita Canyon, just inside the entrance to Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive. It’s a short pause for anyone curious about the people who settled here. Take the quick right turn near the entrance; Faraway Ranch is a separate historic stop farther along the drive.
Neil Erickson’s memorial records five years in the Army during the Indian Wars, followed by 25 years as a U.S. Forest Service officer. His wife, Emma Peterson Erickson, came from Sweden to make southern Arizona her home, and their daughter Hildegard was born at Faraway Ranch.
Another inscription tells how Jess and Clover Hutchison met while riding trails at Faraway and married in 1946. Louis Prue, an early homesteader, also chose the mouth of Bonita Canyon as his burial place. The names and inscriptions make the canyon’s settled history feel personal.
Wildlife
20 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
150 sightingsWhite-nosed CoatiMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
184 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsMojave RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
16 sightingsWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
12 sightingsRock RattlesnakeMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Chiricahua. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyBonita Creek Loop0.2 mi · 20 min · 0.2 mi awayA flat, paved loop for grassland birds and spring blooms.
EasyBonita Creek Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 0.2 mi awayA short creek walk to the historic Faraway Ranch grounds.
EasyFaraway Ranch Trail0.9 mi · 45 min · 0.7 mi awayA short loop to the 1880 Stafford homestead.
EasySilver Spur Meadow Trail3 mi · 1.8 hr · 0.7 mi awayAn easy 3-mile history walk past a homestead cabin and CCC camp.
ModerateLower Rhyolite Canyon Trail3 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayA gravel walk to rhyolite pinnacles, climbing toward the canyon junction.
ModerateTrail to Natural Bridge4.7 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA rugged forest climb ends at a bridge seen across the canyon.
ModerateSugarloaf Mountain Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.9 mi awayA short, steep climb to a historic lookout above volcanic spires.
ModerateEcho Canyon Loop Trail3.3 mi · 3.5 hr · 4.2 mi awayTight rock passages, sunny views, and a smarter counterclockwise loop.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayChiricahua Entrance SignA quick first photo stop at the park entrance.
Picnic area · 0.2 mi awayBonita Creek Picnic AreaA picnic break with a paved loop through grassland bird habitat.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayFaraway RanchA ranch house with a guest-ranch story and a good stargazing spot.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayStafford CabinAn 1880 homestead cabin on an easy walk through Bonita Canyon
Visitor center · 1.8 mi awayChiricahua Visitor CenterGet the geology, wildlife and human story before the drive.
Campground · 1.9 mi awayBonita Canyon CampgroundA shady pine-and-oak base for sleeping inside the monument.Sight · 2 mi awayNatural BridgeA long, less-used hike to a water-carved arch across the canyon.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayOrgan Pipe FormationLook up at ribbed stone columns just off the scenic drive.Parkwolf’s Chiricahua ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
