A red-rock canyon wilderness of sculpted cliffs, slot canyons, and ancient cliff dwellings on the edge of the Colorado Plateau.
Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness is a nearly 47,200-acre wilderness area within the Coconino National Forest in central Arizona, near the town of Sedona. It lies along the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, where the famous red-rock country gives way to deep canyons and forested high country on the Mogollon Rim.
The landscape is dominated by wind and water sculpted features: towering pinnacles, natural windows, sandstone arches, and narrow slot canyons, framed by the steep red cliffs that mark the boundary of the plateau. High mesas such as Secret Mountain and Wilson Mountain rise out of this lower country, with canyon depths of up to about 1,500 feet draining toward Oak Creek and the Verde River. The wilderness is bordered to the east by Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, forming part of a larger contiguous block of protected canyon country.
Petroglyphs and abandoned cliff dwellings scattered through the area reflect a long human history on this land, while elk, black bear, and mule deer still move between the cool forested rim country and the warmer canyon lowlands. A network of trails links these landscapes, drawing hikers, horseback riders, photographers, and wildlife viewers into one of Arizona's most distinctive protected landscapes.
