Chiricahua Peak is the name of a 9759 feet (2,975 m) peak located in southeastern Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, located just north of the United States–Mexico border

United States–Mexico border

The United States–Mexico border is the international border between the United States and Mexico. It runs from Imperial Beach, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east, and traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from major...

. It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains

Chiricahua Mountains

The Chiricahua Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Arizona which are part of the Basin and Range province of the southwest, and part of the Coronado National Forest...

 and the highest point in Cochise County.

As with the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains, the peak was formed as the result of a violent volcanic

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

 eruption about 27 million years ago.

The peak contains one of the southernmost Engelmann spruce

Engelmann Spruce

Picea engelmannii is a species of spruce native to western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, southwest to northern California and southeast to Arizona and New Mexico; there are also two isolated populations in northern Mexico...

 stands in the world. There are also extensive stands of aspen

Aspen

Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...

 on the northslope. Much of the peak was severely burned in recent times, which creates vast open views across the landscape. This includes views across the Basin and Range

Basin and Range

The Basin and Range Province is a vast physiographic region defined by a unique topographic expression. Basin and Range topography is characterized by abrupt changes in elevation, alternating between narrow faulted mountain chains and flat arid valleys or basins...

 to Mount Lemmon

Mount Lemmon

Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of...

, Mount Graham

Mount Graham

Mount Graham is a mountain in southeastern Arizona in the United States, in the Coronado National Forest. It is the highest mountain in the Pinaleño Mountains. As the name "Mount Graham" is often used by locals to refer to the entire mountain range, the peak itself is frequently referred to as...

, and Mount Wrightson

Mount Wrightson

Mount Wrightson is the highest point in the area around Tucson, Arizona, United States at an elevation of 9,453 feet . Mount Wrightson is located in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson in the Coronado National Forest. It was named for William Wrightson, who was a miner and entrepreneur...

. In addition Willcox Playa

Willcox Playa

The Willcox Playa is a large endorheic dry lake or sink in Cochise County. It is located south of and adjacent to Willcox, Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion. It is the remnant of Pleistocene pluvial Lake Cochise...

is visible in the basin below.

The summit is heavily forested primarily with pines.