Parking
Follow Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive to the Massai Point parking area. Begin at the paved northwest-side trail. A picnic shelter, exhibits and vault toilet are at the point; no food service or potable water is listed.
Overview
About Massai Point Nature Trail
Why go
- A short loop brings you close to balanced rocks and wide valley views.
- The exhibit stop gives the geology context without adding much distance.
Heads up
- A steep, exposed paved approach and rough, stepped sections make the short loop feel strenuous.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Chiricahua map
Full mapElevation6,759–6,860 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Chiricahua alerts
- CautionRabies warning for wild animalsRabies has been detected in Southeast Arizona; do not approach, feed, or touch wild animals.Official details
- InfoVehicle and trailer limits on Bonita Canyon DriveCheck vehicle length before continuing past Faraway Ranch Parking; there is no large-vehicle turnaround farther up Bonita Canyon Drive. The road narrows and winds steeply up the mountain.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Chiricahua Tour Guide
Your drive to Massai Point Nature Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Massai Point0:00 / 0:34
“You're coming up on Massai Point, where the road ends with a wide view across the rock towers of Rhyolite Canyon. Keep this stop even if you're doing very little walking; the panorama starts beside the parking lot.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Chiricahua Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Echo Canyon Grottoes
- Sugarloaf’s Lava Cap
- Sugarloaf Mountain Lookout
- A Woodpecker’s Pantry
- 26 audio storiesacross Chiricahua’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, White-nosed Coati, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 14 trails, 17 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Massai Point Nature Trail
A short loop with a steep startThis half-mile loop circles Massai Point from its parking area, with balanced rocks and broad…
This half-mile loop circles Massai Point from its parking area, with balanced rocks and broad canyon views as the payoff. Allow about 30 minutes. The north side climbs to the exhibit building before the route follows the west rim south around the point and closes back at the parking access.
Take the full loop counter-clockwiseStart on the paved path at the northwest side and follow the loop counter-clockwise.
Start on the paved path at the northwest side and follow the loop counter-clockwise. The paved north section is about 0.1 mile (500 feet), with a steep grade and curved, exposed edges. A steep stair shortcut reaches the lookout but skips the full interpretive circuit; for a shorter visit, the paved approach can be walked out and back to the exhibits.
Uneven footing, stairs and the 6,870-foot elevation make the rest of this short route feel more demanding than its mileage suggests. Most of the loop is not passable for wheeled mobility devices; powered or assisted mobility may help on the paved section.
Balanced rocks and the rimThe trail brings you among Chiricahua's striking rock columns, with the view opening across…
The trail brings you among Chiricahua's striking rock columns, with the view opening across wooded valleys and mountain ranges. Interpretive signs explain how the formations developed. At the overlook, include a balanced column in the foreground with the valley behind it to show the scale of the landscape.
Plants with a storyEarlier interpretation of the trail called out pointleaf manzanita, named for fruit that…
Earlier interpretation of the trail called out pointleaf manzanita, named for fruit that resembles little apples, and sacahuista, or beargrass. Despite its common name, sacahuista is a lily. The trail's historic interpretation also records Apache use of its leaf fibers for woven baskets and mats.
At the trailheadUse the Massai Point parking area at the end of Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive.
Use the Massai Point parking area at the end of Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive. The point has a picnic shelter, exhibits and a vault toilet. No food service or potable water is listed there. Pets are not allowed; no separate activity fee or reservation is required, though park entrance fees may apply.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Chiricahua
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.
