Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness sits in southeast Arizona, roughly halfway between Tucson and Phoenix, where sheer cliffs, a year-round creek, and a concentration of wildlife make it one of the more remarkable wild places in the state. The wilderness covers 19,410 acres, and the public and private land surrounding it helps protect an ecosystem that does not handle pressure well. Aravaipa Creek runs all year, which is genuinely unusual in the Arizona desert. Sycamore, ash, cottonwood, and willow line the banks wherever that steady water reaches them, and the vegetation beneath grows dense. In fall the leaves turn red and gold, a sharp contrast against the open Sonoran Desert visible above the canyon walls. The Bureau of Land Management manages the wilderness with two goals in mind: keeping its character and fragile environment intact, and giving visitors a real backcountry experience rather than a manicured one. A permit is required before you hike, backpack, or hunt anywhere inside Aravaipa Canyon or its side canyons. The Aravaipa Canyon permits page has the specifics. Plan accordingly, because this is genuine backcountry. There are no designated trails, no marked campsites, no signs, and no facilities anywhere within the wilderness boundaries. The terrain is rough, and you should be in solid physical condition before you go in. A good portion of the route pushes through thick riparian vegetation, and that is just the nature of traveling through the canyon.

On documented breadth and access, Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness ranks 28th of 29 park and public-land units we score in Arizona.