Cave Creek Canyon
188 W Portal Rd, San Simon, AZ
Portal, AZ
A hidden red-rock canyon on the eastern edge of the Chiricahuas, so rich in birds that scientists call it the Yosemite of the desert.
Cave Creek Canyon is a deep, red-walled canyon on the eastern flank of the Chiricahua Mountains, reached through the small settlement of Portal in the far southeastern corner of Arizona. Towering cliffs of pinkish rhyolite frame a creek lined with sycamore, oak, and pine, and the contrast of that green shaded canyon against the surrounding desert grassland is what makes the place feel so unexpected.
The Chiricahuas are one of Arizona's sky islands, tall forested mountains that rise from the desert like isolated islands from a sea. Species from the Rocky Mountains to the north and the Sierra Madre of Mexico to the south meet and mingle here, which is why Cave Creek Canyon is one of the most famous wildlife destinations in North America, especially for birds.
What Guests Love
- Sheer rhyolite cliffs glowing red and orange in the low light
- World-class birding, including species that reach the United States almost nowhere else
- The clear night sky over one of the darkest corners of the state
- A cool, shaded creekside oasis in the middle of dry country
Worth Knowing
- Portal is remote, so fuel up and stock up before you head in, and download maps ahead since cell service is thin
- Summer monsoon storms can flood the creek and washes quickly, so watch the weather
- This is a sensitive habitat, so stay on trails and give wildlife and other birders room
- Higher trails can hold snow and turn icy in winter, so check conditions before heading up
Details
Portal, AZ
Learn about Cave Creek Canyon
A sky island where north meets south
The Chiricahua Mountains are one of the Madrean sky islands, a chain of tall ranges that rise from the desert grasslands of southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico. Because they are so much higher and cooler than the surrounding lowlands, they hold forests and creatures cut off from other mountains, like true islands surrounded by a sea of desert. Cave Creek Canyon cuts deep into the eastern side of the range.
That isolation, combined with the meeting of northern and southern species, gives the canyon extraordinary variety. Plants and animals from the Rocky Mountains overlap with those pushing north out of Mexico's Sierra Madre, so a single canyon holds a mix of life found almost nowhere else in the country. Naturalists have studied it for well over a century, and it remains a place scientists return to again and again.
Apache country and the story of the Chiricahuas
The Chiricahua Mountains carry the name of the Chiricahua Apache, whose homeland this was and whose leaders, among them Cochise and Geronimo, defended it fiercely in the nineteenth century. These rugged canyons and high forests gave shelter and sustenance, and the range remains bound up with Apache history and identity.
After the Apache Wars ended, the region drew ranchers, miners, and eventually the scientists and birders who made it famous. The tiny community of Portal grew up at the canyon's mouth, and the area became known worldwide among naturalists. Today the Chiricahua Apache and other Apache peoples continue as living nations, and the mountains hold both their history and their present.
Birds, and the wild things of the canyon
Cave Creek Canyon is legendary among birdwatchers. It is one of the few places in the United States where you have a good chance of seeing the elegant trogon, a brilliant red-and-green bird that nests in the canyon's shaded groves, along with a long list of hummingbirds, warblers, and owls that draw birders from around the world. The mix of habitats packs remarkable diversity into a small area.
Beyond birds, the canyon holds black bear, coatimundi, javelina, ringtail, and mountain lion, along with a rich world of reptiles and amphibians. The creek supports frogs and fish, sycamores and oaks shade the banks, and higher up the canyon rises into pine and fir forest. Few places in Arizona pack this much life into so small a space.
Season by season and the night sky
Spring brings migrating birds and mild weather, one of the best times to visit, with the canyon greening up and the creek running from winter and snowmelt. Summer is warm in the canyon bottom, and the monsoon storms of July and August bring dramatic afternoon downpours that can flood the washes and green the whole range, and it is peak season for trogons and other breeding birds.
Fall cools the air and thins the crowds, a fine, quiet season with clear skies and turning leaves along the creek, while winter is cold and the high country can hold snow, though the canyon bottom stays accessible on many days. Any time of year, Portal sits under some of the darkest skies in the country, and the stargazing here is superb.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Portal
Portal
At the canyon mouth
A tiny, remote community of birders and desert dwellers at the entrance to Cave Creek Canyon, with a small store and a strong naturalist tradition.
Chiricahua National Monument
About 40 miles by road, over the mountains
A forest of balanced rock spires and hoodoos on the western side of the same range, called the Land of Standing-Up Rocks.
Willcox
About 55 miles northwest
A ranching and wine town on the plains, a base for exploring the Chiricahuas and the nearby playa where sandhill cranes gather in winter.
Rustler Park
High in the Chiricahuas
A cool, high-elevation forest of pine and fir near the crest of the range, a favorite for hiking and birding in the hot months.