Cochise County National Park Service Sites Begin Fall Operations on October 13th

Date: October 1, 2014
Contact: Julena Campbell, Public Affairs Officer, 520-824-3560, ext. 307

Superintendent H. Lane Baker has announced the fall seasonal operating hours of the three National Park Service sites in Cochise County - Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, and Fort Bowie National Historic Site. The following hours and operations are in effect from October 13 – November 30, 2014.

At Chiricahua National Monument, all facilities are open for the fall including the scenic eight mile Bonita Canyon Drive, the 25-site Bonita Canyon Campground, visitor center, Faraway Ranch Historic District, picnic areas, and 17 miles of hiking trails. During the fall, the visitor center will be open daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. To assist visitors in securing a campsite in the campground, the park will transition to a reservation system later this fall. Until then campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The park is open 24 hours a day, although the scenic drive can be temporarily closed due to hazardous conditions. Schools or other groups seeking a ranger-led program are advised to call the park well ahead of time to make arrangements. For information about visiting the park, go to www.nps.gov/chir or call the visitor center staff at 520-824-3560, ext. 0.

At Coronado National Memorial, all facilities are open for the fall including the visitor center, picnic area, hiking trails, and the five mile scenic drive to Montezuma Pass overlook. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset and the visitor center is open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. The park is currently involved in a multi-year project to renovate the historic visitor center and install new interpretive exhibits. During the renovation, visitor center services and limited sales will be available in a temporary facility in the parking lot. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Schools or other groups seeking a ranger-led program are advised to call the park well ahead of time to make arrangements. For information about visiting the park, go to www.nps.gov/coro or call the visitor center staff at 520-366-5515, ext. 0.  

At Fort Bowie National Historic Site, the ruins areas, hiking trails, and administrative access road are all open for the fall. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. During the fall (October 13 - November 30), the visitor center will be open five days a week, Fridays through Tuesdays, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The park features a self-guided interpretive trail from the trailhead on Apache Pass road to the fort ruins and visitor center. The roundtrip hike is three miles. Schools or other groups seeking a ranger-led program are advised to call the park well ahead of time to make arrangements. When staffing permits, groups may arrange for the visitor center to be temporarily opened on a Wednesday or Thursday, with advanced notice. For more information about visiting the park, go to www.nps.gov/fobo or call the visitor center staff at 520-847-2500, ext. 1.