Gambel's quail and mourning dove, popular game birds, live here. The UDWR has identified a peregrine falcon use area in both the western and eastern thirds of the area. The lower elevations and southern exposures in the area make for early-season hiking, riding and camping. Access is convenient from Interstate 15 via the Red Cliffs BLM recreation area located between Leeds and Harrisburg. BLM data indicate that more than 2,000 people use the WSA annually, mostly within Quail Creek canyon.
Hunters can find quail, mourning dove, and mule deer here.
Hikes begin in the Red Cliffs campground and wind over slickrock domes. The broken, dissected topography provides outstanding solitude. The area's diversity, recreational opportunities, and proximity to a growing urban area give Cottonwood Canyon high value as wilderness. The BLM, however, has arrived at a compromised wilderness recommendation. In fact, it took extensive public comments during the wilderness inventory to get the BLM to reverse an initial recommendation against wilderness recommendation.