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Introduction

The United States Congress designated the Harquahala Mountains Wilderness (map) in 1990 and it now has a total of 22,880 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Arizona and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Description

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 Harquahalas reach a high point on the western side on Harquahala Peak at 5,691 feet, the uppermost elevation in the southwestern part of the state. From the summit of the peak the panorama includes surrounding desert and mountains up to 100 miles away. Natural mountain springs support a rare habitat among Sonoran Desert mountains, a screened interior canyon system with exceptional natural diversity. Rare cacti live here among relict "islands" of chaparral and desert grasslands. Here you'll find high peaks and foothills, deep rocky canyons and valleys, and ridges dropping to bajadas. Sunset Canyon falls 1,600 feet from the steep east rim of the mountains. Brown's Canyon, which stretches for nine miles across the northeastern portion, houses the endangered desert tortoise and is seldom visited. This area also sustains the largest mule deer herd in western Arizona, a sizable raptor population, and one of the few increasing desert bighorn sheep herds.

In the 1920s the Smithsonian Institute built an observatory on Harquahala Peak and a rough trail for mules to carry up supplies. The obscure Harquahala Peak Trail runs about 5.4 miles one-way to the ruins of the observatory; rock cairns mark the way. The rest of the Wilderness offers some of Arizona's most appealing desert solitude . . . but not in summer, when the heat sends the mercury to the top of the thermometer.

Planning to Visit the Harquahala Mountains Wilderness?

• Print a fact sheet
• General things to consider when visiting any wilderness
• Regulations
• Contact the Bureau of Land Management
• Other recommended websites

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Harquahala Mountains Wilderness.

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.