Chiricahua National Monument
The lizards were caught in the Chiricahua National Monument because they are so densely populated. Walking down the trails you see them on the rocks every few minutes. When they were caught they location was written down in GPS coordinates and if their location was notable (“up on rocks” or “on fallen tree to the left”). We dropped off all of the lizards we brought with us and then headed back to New Mexico to see the Carlsbad Caverns. The quickest way to make that 7 hour (or more) drive is to dip down into Texas and then back up into New Mexico. We traveled past boarder patrol vehicles and stops.
The Chiricahua National Monument is an impressive collection of pinnacles, columns and balancing rocks. They scatter the mountain sides and paths dwarfing everything and anyone that comes to admire the natural wonder. The mountain range is the inactive volcano range that is twenty miles wide and forty miles long. Violent geological activity millions of years ago have left the impressive rock formations. Most of the land is considered wilderness, it has no trails or roads through it so that it is left untouched. The CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, built the trails that wind through the peaks.
*I will post pictures later but the site is not loading them right now*