Wilderness Areas links in Arizona

Small, remote, and relatively rugged, Apache Creek Wilderness offers rolling hills of juniper and pinyon pine interspersed with outcroppings of granite. Time and wind and water have smoothed the rock, providing excellent habitat for mountain lions and num

As a prime example of the Southwest's desert country, narrow and twisting Aravaipa Canyon has few if any equals. It is a stretch of incredible scenic wonder, filled with biological treasures that have attracted enough human traffic to make overuse a probl

Wild and remote, difficult to access, this sprawling Wilderness preserves imposing landscapes and vividly colorful geologic features. The Poachie Range runs northwest-southeast through the north-central portion of the area and rises to almost 5,000 feet.

A large cliff-encircled mesa, Aubrey Peak dominates the middle of the eastern half of this Wilderness. It is a land of stark geologic formations eroded by wind and water into brightly colored volcanic sculptures, a world of natural windows,

On Arizona's smallest designated Wilderness, Baboquivari Peak rises sharply to dominate the scenic desert terrain of the east side of the Baboquivari Range, near the Mexican border.

Some of the largest acreage of virgin ponderosa pine in the Southwest stands on Bear Wallow Wilderness, venerable reminders of a once extensive forest of these giants. Down the length of the area, through a blanket of pine, fir, and spruce, beautiful Bear

The jagged mountains and gently sloping alluvial plain of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness straddle the Arizona-Utah border. Management of the Wilderness is shared by the BLM in both states.

Big Horn Peak towers 1,800 feet above a desert plain near the middle of this Wilderness. Neighboring escarpments add to this area's exceptional scenic value.

Cabeza Prieta Wilderness Area has the distinction of being Arizona's largest Wilderness Area, encompassing nearly 93 percent of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.

On the stark eastern slopes of the Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Creek Wilderness stands between Phoenix and Flagstaff, easily accessible from both.

Cedar Bench falls along a broad northwest-southeast trending ridge or "bench," and from this elevated perch visitors can glimpse stunning views of the desert's vivid colors. The Wilderness occupies the dividing line between the Verde River and the Agua Fr

About 27 million years ago, give or take a few millennia, Turkey Creek Caldera spewed forth white-hot ash that settled, cooled, and fused into a 2,000-foot-thick layer of dark volcanic rock, forming the Chiricahua Mountains.

More than a century ago the Chiricahua Apache Tribe, called the Chiricahua Mountains their own. From here the Apache defended their homeland by launching surprise attacks on U.S. Army troops and pioneer settlements, and here the Chiricahua Apache Indian R

On the map, this piñon-, juniper-, and sagebrush-covered Wilderness looks like two small "peninsulas" divided by Cottonwood Canyon. Extending south from the Arizona-Utah border, the land rises to 6,322 feet on Cottonwood Point itself at the lower end of t

The wilderness includes the Coyote Mountains with their rugged peaks, massive rounded bluffs, sheer cliff faces, and large open canyons.

Sculpted with steep slopes and granite outcroppings, the rugged and remote Dos Cabezas Mountains rise in elevation from 4,080 feet to 7,587 feet on Government Peak in the southeast corner.

Fifteen miles of the Eagletail Mountains' rough ridgeline run through the northern section of this Wilderness, including 3,300-foot Eagletail Peak.

An immense desert with an intricate crescent-dune topography, the Cactus Plain is a land of shifting sands interspersed with more stable structures.

You can see towering Escudilla Mountain from just about anywhere in the neighborhood (the neighborhood of eastern Arizona, that is). The third highest mountain in Arizona (10,912 feet), Escudilla sits on the third smallest Wilderness in the state, home to

Sharing a long northeastern border with San Carlos Indian Reservation, Fishhooks Wilderness is a haven of solitude in an isolated and seldom visited region of Arizona.

"Where there is water, there is life," the saying goes, and Fossil Springs proves it's true every day of the year. At the bottom of a steep and wide canyon, at the edge of the Colorado Plateau just south of the Mogollon Rim, a group of springs pump water

Rising from desert foothills near the center of the Wilderness, a major mountain with four peaks can be seen from great distances in all directions. From the craggy summits the land drops down a complex series of ridges and drainages to bluffs and deep go

The precipitous, rocky, and brushy Galiuro Mountains rise abruptly in blocklike uplifts from the almost flat desert plains. Nineteen miles in length and six miles in width (on average), they are almost all designated Wilderness.

On the western edge of the Buckskin Mountains where they flatten toward the lower Colorado River, Gibralter Mountain rises only 1,568 feet above sea level, a raggedy mass of volcanic rock cut by many deep, sandy washes and rocky canyons.

You won't find the Colorado River, the force of nature that eons ago carved the Grand Wash Cliffs of Arizona, anywhere near the cliffs themselves. Today the Colorado flows about 20 miles to the south, sculpting the Grand Canyon. But this Wilderness, marki

Ragged boulders, some as big as a house, stack on top of each other to an elevation of 7,626 feet in Granite Mountain Wilderness, an area about eight miles away from Prescott.

This desert encompasses over 10 miles of the Harcuvar Mountains' ridgeline, from an elevation of 2,400 feet on the bajadas to more than 5,100 feet on the mountainous crest.

Harquahala means "running water high up" in the language of one early native tribe. This elevated region, set on one of western Arizona's largest desert ranges, was so named for its numerous perennial seeps and springs.

The Hassayampa River flows freely for several miles along the southern and eastern portions of this Wilderness, supporting a riparian habitat.

Havasu National Wildlife Refuge stretches along the Colorado River for 24 miles between Needles, and Lake Havasu City, Arizona, with most of the refuge situated in Arizona. Approximately one-third of the refuge--all of it in Arizona--was designated Wilder

A scenic portion of the Hieroglyphic Mountain Range, this area is home to numerous peaks, mostly over 3,000 feet, encircling and isolating Burro Flats from the rest of the world.

Lying at the base of the Mogollon Rim, upper Tonto Creek has incised a 1,000-foot-deep canyon that runs entirely through the center of this Wilderness. A perennial waterway, Tonto Creek creates deep emerald pools sometimes separated by impassable falls.

Northeast of Hummingbird Springs, which sits near the middle of this Wilderness, a colorful escarpment, Sugarloaf Mountain, climbs steeply from the Tonopah Desert to 3,418 feet and lends this area remarkable scenic value.

You might be surprised to find a lush river ecosystem in the midst of the Sonoran Desert, the hottest and driest in the United States, a land of prickly cacti and specially adapted plants and animals.

Flat-topped Juniper Mesa, running east-west, dominates this Wilderness on the southern end of the Juniper Mountains. The mesa is broken by steep canyons that open onto rolling hills with elevations ranging from 7,050 feet down to 5,650 feet.

Rising to truly majestic summits, Kachina Peaks Wilderness area boasts 12,643-foot Humphrey's Peak, the highest point in Arizona. The Wilderness is part of a large and heavily vegetated composite volcano, which bears signs of a rich geologic past that inc

One of the major tributaries of the Colorado River, Kanab Creek is the largest tributary canyon system on the north side of the Grand Canyon. From its origin about 50 miles north in southern Utah, Kanab Creek and its feeder streams have cut a network of g

Kendrick Mountain Wilderness encompasses Kendrick Peak, one of the highest peaks in the vast San Francisco volcanic field located on the Coconino Plateau in north-central Arizona.

In the early part of the 1900s the King of Arizona (KOFA) Mine scoured this land for precious mineral deposits. Today, in a twist of fate, the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge)protects the region's precious plant and animal life, including: one of th

In the language of the Aztecs mazatzal means "an area inhabited by deer," but just how the word reached Arizona, or what significance it holds, remains somewhat of a mystery.

In 1540-41 the Coronado Expedition skirted this area on a quest for riches, opening a southern doorway through which later Europeans entered the New World. Miller Peak Wilderness, one of the most rugged, wildlife-filled areas in southern Arizona, lies bet

Captain George Wheeler, who surveyed much of the American Southwest in the 1870s, wrote that the view from Mount Baldy was "the most magnificent and effective of any among the large number that have come under my observation." In other words, he liked it

Geologically speaking, Mount Logan was an active volcanic area until only recently. Today, this spot is sort of a local secret, not appearing on many maps.

At 5,216 feet, Mount Nutt presides over a colorful and wild terrain encompassing eight miles of the central and highest portion of the Black Mountains. Along the main ridgeline you'll find prominent mesas that have been cut into a series of steep canyon m

This Wilderness contains the entire northern half of the imposing Cerbat Mountains. Although 7,148-foot Mount Tipton dominates the area, the real eye-catching attraction, the true centerpiece of the Wilderness, is located north of and below Tipton: the Pi

Just north of the Grand Canyon and Mount Logan Wilderness Area, located at the southern end of the Uinkaret Plateau, Mount Trumbull is a large, basalt-capped mesa rising to 8,028 feet.

Only 30 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada, Mount Wilson Wilderness encompasses eight miles of Wilson Ridge with its summit on Mount Wilson at 5,445 feet in the northwest corner.

Rising a magnificent 7,000 feet from the desert floor, 9,452-foot-high Mount Wrightson is visible from great distances. At the core of the Santa Rita Mountains, this Wilderness has rough hillsides, deep canyons, and lofty ridges and peaks surrounded on al

Just south of Yuma Military Proving Ground stands a cluster of rugged peaks at the western extreme of the Muggins Mountains, a region of colorful geologic strata and scenic landforms situated close to the California border.

Arizona is well known for its red-rock formations, conjuring up images of magnificent crimson outcroppings set against azure skies. Munds Mountain Wilderness is home to many of these ruggedly beautiful specimens, along with several traditional high mesas

The Mescal Mountains cut across the middle of this Wilderness, their southwestern flank forming a spectacular striped slope of Paleozoic limestone that looms more than 2,500 feet high. The Gila River flows through this country and forms the Wilderness's s

Despite its name, this land of colorful craggy spires, sharp ridges, sheer rock outcrops, natural arches, and slickrock canyons receives less than five inches of rainfall annually, so you should pack in your own water.

Ranging from about 1,000 feet to 2,813 feet, the North Maricopa Mountains are a jumble of isolated summits and long ridges separated by washes and bajadas (desert slopes).

Just south of and sharing a border with the San Carlos Indian Reservation, North Santa Teresa preserves Black Rock, a geologic landmark of special spiritual significance to many Indians. Rising nearly 1,000 feet from its base, towering darkly over the des

Almost in the heart of the vast Sonoran Desert, 329,199-acre Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument hugs the Mexican border and celebrates a desert full of life: 550 species of vascular plants, 53 species of mammals, 43 species of reptiles, and more than 278

The Virgin Mountains are aptly named, as they have remained virtually unblemished by human intrusion. These mountains form the backbone of Paiute Wilderness, a geological amalgam of granite, gneiss, and limestone.

Attention, botany lovers: you should not miss this little Wilderness. More than 660 species of plants have been identified within its borders, 17 of them found nowhere else on Earth. Botanists have called Pajarita one of the most intriguing small areas in

This colorful Wilderness snakes through northern Arizona northeast along the gorgeous Vermilion Cliffs and swings northwest along the not-to-be-missed Paria Canyon before eventually leading into Utah, where a much smaller portion of the area is preserved.

Ragged and rugged, the Peloncillo Mountains stretch north from Mexico to the Gila River, and New Mexico is just across the border from this Wilderness. The historic Butter-field Stage Route forms the southern boundary, but within the area you won't find m

About 225 million years ago this area was a vast floodplain crossed by many streams. Tall, stately, pinelike trees grew here, sheltering a myriad of reptiles. When the trees fell, they washed into the water to be buried under silt, mud, and volcanic ash.

At 6,814 feet, Pine Mountain is the highest point on the Verde River Rim, which slashes across this area from northeast to southwest. Steep and rocky southeastern slopes fall toward the Verde, Arizona's only Wild River Area.

Pusch Ridge rises from the desert floor to over 9,000 feet above sea level, affording a clear view over the sprawling metropolis of Tucson. Unfortunately, more and more people are climbing Pusch Ridge to take in that view and revel in the cool shade of pi

Just beyond Alamo Dam, the Bill Williams River cuts through this Wilderness, dividing two mountain ranges, the Rawhides to the north and the Buckskins to the south.

Tan, buff, and predominantly red-rock cliffs mark the edge of the Colorado Plateau across this Wilderness, just east of Sycamore Canyon Wilderness

A narrow red-walled chasm, boulder-strewn Redfield Canyon lies bound by tall cliffs pocked with eroded caves. With a bit of exploration you may find cascades and deep refreshing pools hidden in side canyons.

Wrapping around three sides of Saguaro National Park just east of Tucson, this sharply rising, mountainous Wilderness serves to further protect and preserve the Park's odd and sometimes all-too-human-shaped cacti, the monarchs of the Sonoran Desert.

Straddling the eastern edge of the Kaibab Plateau the Saddle Mountain Wilderness is a rugged land of narrow drainage bottoms and steep scarps (a line of cliffs produced by faulting or erosion).

Sprouting in the shade of another desert plant, the saguaro cactus grows only a few inches in its first five years of life and a few feet in its first 30 years. At age 75 the cactus stands 15 to 20 feet tall and begins developing its first branches as it

If you hike rough and lonesome Salome Canyon, the major canyon that runs almost the entire length of this Wilderness, you probably won't encounter another human being. However, you may see remnants of the Salado Indians, who lived here until vanishing abo

Many describe the vista where U.S. 60 crosses the Salt River Canyon as the most dramatic in Arizona. Here the highway descends 2,000 feet of steep switchbacks, crosses a bridge, and ascends the opposite side of the canyon.

Looking for an extraordinary desert mountain Wilderness experience? Then head to the Santa Teresa Mountains, but be forewarned: the going's not easy.

http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Sierra%20Ancha

Bordered entirely on the north and east by the Gila Indian Reservation, Sierra Estrella Wilderness contains knife-edged ridge-lines, steep slopes, and rocky canyons, one of the most rugged mountainous areas of Arizona.

A thin four-wheel-drive road is all that separates Signal Mountain Wilderness from Woolsey Peak Wilderness to the south. Signal Mountain itself, rising just north of the center of the area, reaches a summit at 2,182 feet (1,200 feet above the surrounding

low-elevation Sonoran mountain range, the Maricopas stretch for 13 miles across this Wilderness of extensive desert plains.

Part of the huge San Francisco volcanic field, Strawberry Crater is one of its roughly 600 craters and cones, all 50,000 to 100,000 years old. The crater once sent lava flowing across the northwestern corner of this Wilderness, and low cinder cones domina

Although there is no guarantee that you'll find buried treasure, you are sure to discover miles and miles of desolate and barren mountains, seemingly endless and haunting canyons, raging summer temperatures that can surpass 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and a g

A six-mile stretch of the Bill Williams River, rarely seen by humans, cuts a deep gorge through the center of Swansea Wilderness. The river flows into the south end of nearby Lake Havasu on Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, creating a riparian habitat.

This sprawling Arizona Wilderness encompasses all of Sycamore Canyon, from its pine- and fir-forested rim on the Colorado Plateau down through the Mogollon Rim to its desert mouth in the Verde Valley.

Visible from Phoenix to the south, 4,373-foot-high Table Top Mountain rises to a flat 40-acre summit of desert grassland, the highest point in the Wilderness.

Columns of colorful stone are the most striking landscape features of Tres Alamos, a Wilderness in the southern Black Mountains. The landscape tops out at Sawyer Peak (4,293 feet), the highest point in the Black Mountains.

You're practically in another state in Trigo Mountains Wilderness, the Golden State to be precise. Only a thin strip of Imperial National Wildlife Refuge along the lower Colorado River separates this Wilderness from California.

Upper Burro Creek is one of the few perennial streams to flow undammed into the lower desert of Arizona. Thirteen miles of the creek pass through this Wilderness, which is divided into eastern and western sections by a dirt road.

Located in the Hualapai Mountains, 7,601-foot Wabayuma Peak towers over this Wilderness of massive ridges. Extending out from the peak in a semicircle to the north, south, and west, the ridges plunge almost 5,000 feet in five miles to the desert below. Ro

Dominating this immense, pristine desert landscape near the California border is Black Mesa, 10 miles long and 1,000 feet above the surrounding desert, with edges dissected into a maze of winding canyons. Remnants of ancient mesas and isolated hills jut l

Despite the fact that the Wilderness is only one-half mile to two miles wide, the canyon offers wonderful opportunities for solitude. As for beauty, serenity, and complexity, the hiking is rarely exceeded in Arizona.

Winding on a serpentine course through the rim of the Colorado Plateau, Wet Beaver Creek twists through a steep-walled canyon of Supai sandstone and shale. Beyond lovely red cliffs in the lower section, the canyon widens and opens onto the Verde River.

Intricately carved and scenically splendid White Canyon runs north-south through the middle of this Wilderness. Narrow in places, this canyon's walls rise as much as 800 feet above the bottom.

small, easily accessible Wilderness near the geographic heart of Arizona, Woodchute offers spectacular views of the San Francisco Mountains and panoramic vistas of the central portion of the state.

Woolsey Peak stands at 3,270 feet above sea level and approximately 2,500 feet above the Gila River (to the south). It is a geographical landmark visible from much of southwestern Arizona.