U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

Welcome to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

The Kofa Mountains rise abruptly from the plains of the Sonoran 

Desert, reaching a height of 4,877 feet atop Signal Peak. Desert 

bighorn sheep skillfully navigate the rugged mountains while 

turkey vultures search for carrion as they soar overhead. Below in 

King Valley, endangered Sonoran pronghorn forage and venomous 

rattlesnakes bask in the sun.

The 664,327 acre refuge was established in 1939 for the 

conservation of desert bighorn sheep and other native wildlife 

following a campaign by the Arizona Boy Scouts. More than 80 

percent of Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is protected under the 

Wilderness Act of 1964. This wilderness designation recognizes 

the relatively undeveloped nature of the land and ensures it will 

continue to provide outstanding opportunities for unconfined 

recreation.

Desert Ecosystem

The climate of the Sonoran Desert is characterized by hot 

summers, mild winters and low annual rainfall (4-8 inches). Able 

to store large quantities of water in their leaves, stems and roots, 

cacti thrive under these harsh conditions. Towering saguaros reach 

up to 50 feet in height while pricklypear, cholla and hedgehog cacti 

grow closer to the ground.

As rain is infrequent, most animals have adapted to survive with 

little water. Many species, such as the desert tortoise, obtain needed 

moisture from plant material and depend on water conservation 

for survival. Some animals, including kit foxes and kangaroo rats, 

remain in cool burrows during the day to prevent water loss.

Things to Do at the Refuge

Visitors are welcome to explore Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. 

Drive across McPherson Pass in the Castle Dome Mountains and 

enjoy expansive views of the desert landscape. Sit quietly at Horse 

Tanks and look for jackrabbits, Gambel’s quail and other wildlife. 

Hike up to Big Eye Cabin and view historic mining structures.

Please stop at the Visitor Contact Station, located approximately 50 

miles southwest of the refuge in Yuma, for brochures and information 

about seasonal interpretive programs. The staff and volunteers can 

also offer assistance in planning your trip to the refuge.

Exhibits

Exhibits in the Visitor Contact Station in Yuma feature the 

biological diversity and cultural history of Kofa National Wildlife 

Refuge. Outside the building, enjoy the pollinator garden and learn 

to identify native plants.

Hiking

The Palm Canyon Trail is a half-mile National Recreation Trail 

located at the end of the Palm Canyon Road. The rocky, steep trail 

leads to a viewpoint where California fan palms, the only native 

palm species in Arizona, can be observed.

While the Palm Canyon Trail is the only designated trail on Kofa 

National Wildlife Refuge, visitors are welcome to hike anywhere on 

the refuge so long as vehicles remain within 100 feet of the road and 

they do not enter mines or the area closed for the recovery of the 

Sonoran pronghorn.

Camping and Historic Cabins

Visitors are welcome to camp on the refuge for a maximum of 14 

days in any 12-month period. Campfires are permitted, though 

only dead, down and detached wood from areas not designated as 

wilderness may be used. As wood is scarce, it is suggested that 

visitors bring their own supply.

Spend the night in Kofa Cabin or Hoodoo Cabin, historic cabins built 

by the CCC and a cattle company. They are available on a first come, 

first serve basis and no fee is required.

Hunting 

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting for bighorn sheep, 

mule deer, cottontail rabbit, quail, fox, and coyote. Hunters are 

required to have the proper licenses and permits (if applicable).

Rock Collecting

Visitors are permitted to collect up to 10 specimens or 10 pounds 

(whichever occurs first) of quartz and other rocks in the designated 

Crystal Hill area in a 12-month period. The collection of rocks and 

minerals is prohibited on the rest of Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.

Enjoy Your Visit

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is open 24 hours per day, 7 days a 

week. The Visitor Contact Station is open Monday through Friday 

8:00 am to 4:30 pm, except on all federal holidays when the building 

is closed.

For More Information Contact

Refuge Manager

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

9300 East 28th Street

Yuma, AZ 85365

928/783-7861

928/783-8611 FAX

www.fws.gov/refuge/kofa/

Photographs from left to right,

View from Slumgullion Pass

Sonoran Pronghorn. / © John Kulberg

Skull Rock in Kofa Queen Canyon.

Kofa Cabin.

Desert Bighorn Sheep

All Photographs unless noted / USFWS June 2014
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Come prepared with 

water, snacks, sunscreen, 

and clothing layers. 

Summer temperatures 

can soar above 110 

degrees. Daytime winter 

temperatures are usually 

mild, but it can cool down 

considerably at night. 

Monsoon rains generally 

occur from early July 

into October. Storms may 

cause flash flooding on 

the refuge, so please use 

caution when entering 

washes, narrow canyons 

or low-lying areas.

Please be aware that 

most roads require 

the use of a four-wheel 

drive vehicle. Mines and 

private inholdings are 

closed to public entry. 

Unexploded ordnance 

may be encountered 

on the refuge as desert 

military training 

exercises were conducted 

in the area during World 

War II. Do not pick up 

any military hardware, 

but note its location, 

with GPS coordinates if 

possible, and report it to 

refuge headquarters.

Please see the Public 

Use and Hunting 

Regulations leaflet for 

additional information 

about visitor activities 

and refuge regulations.

Refuge Boundary

4-Wheel Drive Recommended

Any High-Clearance VehicleWatersMoutain OutlineJunction NumbersFor Reference OnlyA, B, & C Hunt UnitsHunt Unit Boundary

Wilderness Areas

45

8

X

Closed Area (for Pronghorn) Miles 10 8 6 4 210

Scale

N

95

95

Mile

92

Mile

95

Mile

85

Mile

76

Mile

55

MST & TTower

X

X X

X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

47

36

34

8

2

75

42

1

76

56 53

60

79

19

22

31

63

24

25

38

62

21

48

77

7

12

16

14

71

65

Copper CupMine

High

Tank 

6

Yaqui Tanks

KOFA Dam

MoonshineTank

Red Rock Dam

Craven Well

Twelve

Mile Well

ScottWell

Hidden ValleyTank

Grey Tanks

Doc CarterSpring

Figueroa Tank

LadderTank

BandyTank

Chuckwalla Tank

Robin Tank

Black Tank

HollowRock Tank

Arch Tank

Horse Tanks

SaltonTanks

DrillHole

Jasper Spring

Mid Well

North StarMine

Adams Well

Castle RockDam

Dixon Spring

Big Eye Mine

Saguaro Tank

KetchersideDam

Blue RockTank

ModestiTank

HangingTank

McPhersonTank

LittleWhiteTanks

Burnt WagonTank

Chain Tank

Red Tank

Tunnel MineSpring

Squaw Tank

WilbanksWell

De La OsaWell

Red HillTank

HighTank 8

TunnelSpring

CereusTank

High

Tank 

7

High Tank 2 Spring

FrenchmanTank

Owl HeadDam

Charlie Died Tank

King Well

Raven Tank

GeyserDam

Four PeaksDam

AlamoSpring

High Tank

3

Hoodoo Well

ChollaTank

Charco 4

New WaterWell Charco 3

Thumb Butte

King of ArizonaMine

Red RavenWell

WilkinsonSeep

HollySeep

Neversweat

Ridge

Hoodoo

Wash

Engesser

Pass

BighornPass

Red RockPass

KOFAMonument

00 Junction

Kofa Cabin

StoneCabin

Quartzsite 8 Miles

To Yuma 40 Miles

I-10 8 Miles

Kofa Butte

3,624'

Polaris Mountain

Signal Peak4,877'

Castle DomePeak3,780'

Courthouse Mtn.

Squaw Peak

Military Reservation Boundary

Military Reservation Boundary

Military Reservation Boundary

Military Reservation Boundary

Military Reservation Boundary

Military Reservation Restricted Area

Military Reservation Boundary

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Land Management

King

Road

Valley

Palm

Canyon

Road

Kofa

Queen

Canyon

Road

Kofa

Manganese

Road

Pipeline

Road

Road

MST & T

Crystal Hill Crystal Hill Rock 

Collection Area

T A N K

D O M E

C A S T L E

M O U N T A I N S

M T N S 

K I N G 

V A L L E Y

M O U N T A I N S

K O F A 

N E W W A T E R MTNS

45C

45A

45B

Top, Agave in bloom.

Middle, Desert Tortoise.

Bottom, Thumb Butte.

All photographs / USFWS

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