Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness

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Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
Fall colors in Boynton Canyon.jpg
Fall colors in Boynton Canyon
Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
Location Coconino / Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States
Nearest city Sedona, AZ
Coordinates 34°57′56″N111°51′24″W / 34.96556°N 111.85667°W / 34.96556; -111.85667
Area47,194 acres (191 km2)
Established1984
Governing body U.S. Forest Service
Map of Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness Red Rock-Secret Mtn Wilderness Map.JPG
Map of Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon, West Fork Trail West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon.jpg
West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon, West Fork Trail
Sinagua ruin at Honanki, just south of the wilderness Honanki Sinagua ruin.jpg
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]

Contents

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]

Petroglyphs 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

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The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff, with elevations ranging from 2,600 feet to the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S. National Forest by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt on July 2, 1908, when the San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve was merged with lands from other surrounding forest reserves to create the Coconino National Forest. Today, the Coconino National Forest contains diverse landscapes, including deserts, ponderosa pine forests, flatlands, mesas, alpine tundra, and ancient volcanic peaks. The forest surrounds the towns of Sedona and Flagstaff and borders four other national forests; the Kaibab National Forest to the west and northwest, the Prescott National Forest to the southwest, the Tonto National Forest to the south, and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to the southeast. The forest contains all or parts of nine designated wilderness areas, including the Kachina Peaks Wilderness, which includes the summit of the San Francisco Peaks. The headquarters are in Flagstaff. The Coconino National Forest consists of three districts: Flagstaff Ranger District, Mogollon Rim Ranger District, and Red Rock Ranger District, which have local ranger district offices in Flagstaff, Happy Jack, and Sedona.

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House Mountain is a shield volcano located in the U.S. state of Arizona located between the Sedona Red Rock Country and the Verde Valley in the Coconino National Forest. House Mountain erupted approximately 13–15 million years ago on the edge of where the Mogollon Rim stood at that time. Thus, the basalt that was emitted preserved the sedimentary layers below it, including the Schnebly Hill Formation and the thin band of Fort Apache Limestone. The Mogollon Rim has receded at a rate of 1 foot per 600 years since and the current edge of the rim can be seen several miles away from the summit.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Mountain (Arizona)</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Mountain (Loy Butte, Arizona)</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

Bear Mountain is a 6,572-foot-elevation (2,003-meter) summit in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost Wilson Mountain</span> Mountain in Yavapai County, Arizona

Lost Wilson Mountain is a 6,762-foot-elevation (2,061-meter) summit in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Pocket Knob</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

East Pocket Knob is a 7,196-foot-elevation (2,193-meter) summit in Coconino County, Arizona, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness – Wilderness.net
  2. 1 2 Red Rock/Secret Mountain Wilderness – Coconino National Forest
  3. "East Pocket Knob - 7,196' AZ". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.