 | | The 14,400-acre Sierra Estrella Wilderness contains one of the most rugged mountain ranges in Arizona. The knife-edged ridgelines, steep slopes and rough rocky canyons provide challenges for hikers, backpackers, climbers and hunters. Butterfly Mountain rises 2,600 feet above the desert plain to an elevation of 4,119 feet in only two miles. The Quartz Peak Trail takes you to the summit of the Sierra Estrella.The extreme elevation differences have caused diverse plant and animal communities. Plants in lower areas include saguaro and cholla, ocotillo, palverde, and elephant bush. Small protected sites on top of the mountains have shrub-live oak and even juniper. A remnant herd of desert bighorn sheep roams the mountains and Gila monster, desert tortoise, mountain lion, mule deer, coyote, javelina, giant spotted whiptail lizard, golden eagle, prairie falcon, and cooper's hawk also inhabit the wilderness.Although distinguished as one of the closest wilderness areas to metropolitan Phoenix, four-wheel-drive vehicles are required to approach the wilderness boundary. Primitive dirt roads near the wilderness boundary are extremely sandy or silty, and wash crossings are rugged and deep. Only the western boundary of the wilderness is accessible to the public; elsewhere the area is bounded by the Gila River Indian Reservation. |
| |  | | | Facilities: No facilities available at Quartz Peak Trailhead. Reservations: Unknown Best Time To Visit: Unknown Fees: No entry fees apply Accessibility: Not handicap accessible. Rules: LEAVE NO TRACE: Wilderness visitors need to be aware of their impact on the land and know how to reduce it. Education is a key to preserving the ecological health of our wildlands. Education is more effective than regulation in changing people's behavior. The following Leave No Trace principles are recommended as a guide to minimizing the impact of your wilderness visits. Plan Ahead and Prepare. Camp and Travel on Durable Surfaces. Pack It In, Pack It Out. Dispose of What You Can't Pack Out. Leave What You Find. Minimize Use and Impact of FiresMinimize your impact on the land and on other visitors, but be sure to enjoy your visit as well.Directions: Take Interstate 10 to exit 121 and travel south to reach the Rainbow Valley Road and Riggs Road. Unmaintained dirt roads extend eastward to the wilderness boundary from here. | | |
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| | | | Address | | Phoenix Field Office | | 2015 West Deer Valley Road | | Phoenix, Arizona 85027 |
| | | Phone | | General: (623) 580-5500 | |
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