Introduction
The United States Congress designated the East Cactus Plain Wilderness (
map) in 1990 and it now has a total of
14,630 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
Arizona and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Description
An immense desert with an intricate crescent-dune topography, the Cactus Plain is a land of shifting sands interspersed with more stable structures. This Wilderness encompasses the eastern third of the plain. Dense dune-shrub vegetation grows here, and some of the plants--such as woolly heads, sand flat milk vetch, Death Valley Mormon tea, and linearleaf sand spurge--are seldom, if ever, found elsewhere in Arizona. The elf owl, flat-tailed horned lizard, and the Mojave Desert fringe-toed lizard roam this land, often beyond human purview. Desert quiet reigns on Cactus Plain, and the early morning and late afternoon sunlight slants eerily across a barren and pinkish land. You'll find no trails. Carry plenty of water, and be sure to bring a map and compass.
