Nearest city Phoenix, Arizona Area 84.98 km² Management Bureau of Land Management | Address Buckeye, AZ, USA Established 1990 | |
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Location Maricopa County, Arizona, U.S. Governing body Bureau of Land Management | ||
The Big Horn Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area located in central Arizona, USA, within the arid Sonora Desert. The wilderness lies midway between Phoenix and Quartzsite. Consisting of 21,000 acres, it was established by the United States Congress in 1990.
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Geography and features
The area contains 9 miles of the Big Horn Mountains, which form the center core of the wilderness. The mountains are surrounded by desert plains. The most prominent peak is Big Horn Mountain, which rises 1,800 feet (550 m) above the desert, other peaks include Burnt Mountain and Little Horn Peak. Activities include hiking, camping, rock climbing, photography, and nature study. Just to the northeast lies the Hummingbird Springs Wilderness.
Flora and fauna
The area is inhabited by several indigenous mammals and birds. These include bighorn sheep, gila monsters, kit foxes, desert tortoises, golden eagles, prairie falcons, barn owls and great horned owls.