CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT

SUZANNE MOODY, a visitors center ranger, talks enthusiastically about Chiricahua National Monument’s biological diversity. Located in one of Arizona’s “sky islands,” the monument stands at the convergence of four ecosystems. “But the national monument is really about the crazy geology,” she says. Ice and water carved layers of 27 million-year-old welded volcanic ash into fantastical faces, animal shapes and balancing rocks. Though born of a violent eruption, it’s a quiet, peaceful area today, she says, with an “amazingly beautiful landscape and a forest of rock spires.” Two of Moody’s favorite spots are the Grotto, a cave-like passage through the rocks along the Echo Canyon Loop, and the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, particularly at sunset. “The silence may feel like a real presence, interrupted by the occasional bird call or breeze,” she says. “Chiricahua’s many surprises and a spiritual feeling often create a very personal connection to the place.”