Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness

Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)

Fall colors in Boynton Canyon
Location Coconino / Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States
Nearest city Sedona, AZ
Coordinates 34°57′56″N 111°51′24″W / 34.96556°N 111.85667°W / 34.96556; -111.85667Coordinates: 34°57′56″N 111°51′24″W / 34.96556°N 111.85667°W / 34.96556; -111.85667
Area 47,194 acres (191 km2)
Established 1984
Governing body U.S. Forest Service
Map of Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon, West Fork Trail
Sinagua ruin at Honanki, just south of the wilderness

The Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness is a 47,195-acre (19,099 ha) wilderness area located within the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona.[1]

The wilderness is predominantly wind and water sculpted pinnacles, windows, arches, and slot canyons, and the red-rock cliffs of the Mogollon Rim that mark the edge of the Colorado Plateau. Bordered on the east by Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, the high mesas of Secret Mountain and Wilson Mountain jut out into the lower country and canyons as deep as 1,500 feet (457 m) drain into Oak Creek and the Verde River.[1]

Prehistoric rock art and abandoned cliff dwellings can be found in the wilderness.[2]

Wildlife

The high rims are relatively cool and moist compared with the lower desertland of the wilderness, and a wide variety of vegetation supports plentiful wildlife, including elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, javelina, coyote, rabbit, mountain lion, and black bear.[1]

Recreation

Common recreational activities in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness include horseback riding, photography, wildlife viewing, swimming, and hiking. There are numerous short trails in the wilderness:[2]

See also

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, March 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.