Sycamore Canyon Wilderness

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Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
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Location Coconino and Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States
Nearest city Clarkdale
Coordinates 34°59′17″N111°59′18″W / 34.98806°N 111.98833°W / 34.98806; -111.98833 Coordinates: 34°59′17″N111°59′18″W / 34.98806°N 111.98833°W / 34.98806; -111.98833
Area55,937 acres (22,637 ha)
Established1972
Governing body U.S. Forest Service
Columnar rocks in lower canyon Sycamore Falls - 3 (21277634263).jpg
Columnar rocks in lower canyon

Sycamore Canyon Wilderness is a 56,000-acre (22,662 ha) wilderness area in the Coconino, Kaibab and Prescott national forests in the U.S. state of Arizona. [1] Encompassing Sycamore Canyon and its surrounds from south of Williams to the confluence of Sycamore Creek with the Verde River, the wilderness is about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Flagstaff. [2] The canyon is one of several in Arizona that cut through the Mogollon Rim. [1] Relevant United States Geological Survey (USGS) map quadrangles are Davenport Hill, White Horse Lake, May Tank Pocket, Perkinsville, Sycamore Basin, and Clarkdale. [3] Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness borders Sycamore Canyon Wilderness on the east. [1]

Contents

Ring-tailed cats, black bears, mountain lions, elk, deer, rattlesnakes, scorpions, canyon wrens, hermit thrushes, and many other creatures frequent the wilderness. Vegetation, which varies with elevation and the availability of water, includes stands of pine, fir, sycamore, walnut, and cottonwood. [1] The canyon walls include exposures of red sandstone, white limestone, and brown lava. [1] Parts of the wilderness are open for dispersed camping; many trails are open for horseback riding as well as hiking. [2]

Trails

A group of trails—Kelsey, Dorsey, Winter Cabin, Little Lo, and Hog Hill—with a combined length of 11.3 miles (18.2 km) wind through the upper parts of the wilderness. The longest of these is Kelsey Trail, 5.6 miles (9.0 km), which descends through a forest of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and juniper into chaparral at lower elevations. [4]

The upper-canyon group of trails intersect with others further downstream. Among these is the 2.9-mile (4.7 km) Taylor Cabin Trail, which leads to a cabin formerly used by cowboys who grazed cattle in the canyon. The cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [5] It may also be approached from downstream along the Sycamore Basin Trail, which intersects other trails such as the Dogie Trail that descends about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) into the canyon from Sycamore Pass, northwest of Sedona. [6]

Sycamore Rim Trail is an 11-mile (18 km) loop in the Kaibab National Forest. Several trailheads provide access to the loop, which is relatively flat, ranging in elevation from 6,700 to 7,287 feet (2,042 to 2,221 m). Much of the trail passes through ponderosa pine forests; in other places the path crosses meadows or traverses mesas with desert plants like agave. The southern part of the loop follows the rim of the canyon along the northern boundary of the wilderness. [7] The sections of trail outside of the wilderness are open to mountain biking as well as hiking. [8]

Parsons Trail follows lower Sycamore Creek for about 4 miles (6 km) from near the Verde River upstream from Clarkdale and Tuzigoot National Monument to Parson Spring. Vegetation varies from cottonwoods to mesquite and includes plants such as columbine and watercress near seeps. Colorful rock formations, some bearing caves, form the canyon walls. [9] The perennial flow of water in this part of the creek provides habitat for wildlife that includes otters and great blue herons. [10] Camping is prohibited in the wilderness downstream of Parson Spring. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Kaibab National Forest Protected area in northern Arizona

At 1.6 million acres the Kaibab National Forest borders both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon, in north-central Arizona. It is divided into three major sections: the North Kaibab Ranger District and the South Kaibab and are managed by the United States Forest Service. The South Kaibab is further divided into two districts, the Tusayan Ranger District, and the Williams Ranger District. Grand Canyon National Park separates the North Kaibab and the South Kaibab. The South Kaibab covers 1,422 square miles (3,680 km2) and the North Kaibab stretches over 1,010 square miles (2,600 km2). Elevations vary on the forest from 5,500 feet in the southwest corner to 10,418 feet at the summit of Kendrick Peak on the Williams Ranger District. The forest as a whole is headquartered in Williams.

Verde River Perennial stream in central Arizona, US

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Kaibab squirrel Subspecies of rodent found in Arizona

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Walnut Canyon National Monument is a United States National Monument located about 10 mi (16 km) southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, near Interstate 40. The canyon rim elevation is 6,690 ft (2,040 m); the canyon's floor is 350 ft lower. A 0.9 mi (1.4 km) long loop trail descends 185 ft (56 m) into the canyon passing 25 cliff dwelling rooms constructed by the Sinagua, a pre-Columbian cultural group that lived in Walnut Canyon from about 1100 to 1250 AD. Other contemporary habitations of the Sinagua people are preserved in the nearby Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle national monuments.

Coconino National Forest United States protected area in Arizona

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Hells Canyon Wilderness (Oregon and Idaho)

The Hells Canyon Wilderness is a wilderness area in the western United States, in Idaho and Oregon. Created 47 years ago in 1975, the Wilderness is managed by both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service and contains some of the most spectacular sections of the Snake River as it winds its way through Hells Canyon, North America's deepest river gorge and one of the deepest gorges on Earth. The Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 added additional acreage and currently the area protects a total area of 217,927 acres (88,192 ha). It lies entirely within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area except for a small 946-acre (383 ha) plot in southeastern Wallowa County, Oregon which is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The area that is administered by the Forest Service consists of portions of the Wallowa, Nez Perce, Payette, and Whitman National Forests.

Arizona Strip Part of Arizona north of the Colorado River

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Coconino Plateau Geographic feature in Coconino County, Arizona, US

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Oak Creek Canyon River gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona

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North Kaibab Trail Grand Canyon hiking trail

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Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country, after Oak Creek Canyon. The 21-mile (34 km) long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about 7 miles (11 km). It is in North Central Arizona bordering and below the Mogollon Rim, and is located west and northwest of Sedona in Yavapai and Coconino counties.

Gila Wilderness

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Kanab Creek Wilderness Protected area in the Kaibab National Forest

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Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness Protected area in the Coconino National Forest

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Munds Mountain Wilderness is an 18,150-acre wilderness area in the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is immediately southeast of Sedona between Arizona State Route 179 and Interstate 17. The wilderness lies within the Munds Mountain and Sedona quadrangles of the national topographic map of the United States Geological Survey.

Juniper Mesa Wilderness is a 7,406-acre wilderness area in the Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. The mesa is about an hour's drive northwest of Prescott in the Juniper Mountains of Yavapai County. The wilderness varies in elevation from 5,600 to 7,000 feet. It is entirely within the Juniper Mountain quadrangle of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Wilderness Institute. "Sycamore Canyon Wilderness". University of Montana. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Sycamore Canyon Wilderness". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  3. "Sycamore Canyon Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. February 8, 1980. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  4. "Kelsey (Springs) Trail #3". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  5. "Taylor Cabin Trail #35". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  6. Warren, Scott S. (2007). 100 Classic Hikes in Arizona (3rd ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. pp. 102–04. ISBN   978-1-59485-025-7.
  7. Warren, pp. 83–86
  8. "Sycamore Rim Trail". National Park Service. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  9. "Parsons Trail #144". National Forest Service. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  10. 1 2 Warren, pp. 105–06