Eagletail Mountains Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The 100600 acres Eagletail Mountains Wilderness is part of the Eagletail Mountains of central-west Arizona
, about 65 mi west of Phoenix
. The wilderness is of moderate size, with the Eagletail Mountains forming its northeast perimeter, and the much shorter Cemetery Ridge section, forming its southwest border. The wilderness covers nearly all of the Eagletail Mountains and the plains on its southwest. The wilderness lies at the southeast of the Ranegras Plain, the headwater region of Bouse Wash
, and lies adjacent to the northwest border of the extensive Gila Bend Mountains
, the mountain range causing the great Gila Bend excursion of the Gila River
, in Arizona
.
The Eagletail Mountains Wilderness lies in extreme southeast La Paz County
, and is also at the intersection of Maricopa County
to the east, and Yuma County
to the southwest.
. The region lies to the south; Centennial, Arizona is the closest exit, only 5 mi north. Tonopah
is further east on I-10, at about 20 mi. The wilderness can be accessed from the south by unimproved roads from Hyder
, about 25 mi away.
----
Courthouse Rock, Ben Avery Trail
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, about 65 mi west of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. The wilderness is of moderate size, with the Eagletail Mountains forming its northeast perimeter, and the much shorter Cemetery Ridge section, forming its southwest border. The wilderness covers nearly all of the Eagletail Mountains and the plains on its southwest. The wilderness lies at the southeast of the Ranegras Plain, the headwater region of Bouse Wash
Bouse Wash
Bouse Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in western Arizona.Bouse Wash is located on the north end of the La Posa Plain and drains into the area along the Colorado River occupied by the Colorado River Indian Reservation, south of Parker, Arizona...
, and lies adjacent to the northwest border of the extensive Gila Bend Mountains
Gila Bend Mountains
The Gila Bend Mountains are a 35-mile long mountain range of the north-central Sonoran Desert southwest of Phoenix, Arizona and in southwest Maricopa County....
, the mountain range causing the great Gila Bend excursion of the Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
, in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
The Eagletail Mountains Wilderness lies in extreme southeast La Paz County
La Paz County, Arizona
La Paz County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census its population was 20,489. The county seat is Parker...
, and is also at the intersection of Maricopa County
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
to the east, and Yuma County
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
to the southwest.
Access
The Eagletail Mountains, and the wilderness parallel a slightly southeast-trending stretch of Interstate 10 in ArizonaInterstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
. The region lies to the south; Centennial, Arizona is the closest exit, only 5 mi north. Tonopah
Tonopah, Arizona
Tonopah is a census-designated place in western Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, approximately 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix off Interstate 10...
is further east on I-10, at about 20 mi. The wilderness can be accessed from the south by unimproved roads from Hyder
Hyder, Arizona
Hyder is a ghost town and farming community in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It and surrounding areas houses several different types of fish, shrimp, and other types of farms, one school , and two gas stations/general markets...
, about 25 mi away.
See also
- List of Bouse and Centennial Wash landforms
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- List of Arizona Wilderness Areas
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
External links
BLM----
Courthouse Rock, Ben Avery Trail