This is a network of rugged mountains with bald summits, deep canyons and large mesas with elevations from less than 4,000 feet to 7,481 feet on the summit of Cottonwood Peak. The central Wilderness is dominated by Holdout and Mud Spring Mesas. Thick chaparral vegetation is the primary plant life with stands of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir on the north flanks and the crest of Cottonwood Peak. Black bears are present here with coatimundi, javelina and mountain lions, and peregrine falcons fly over a variety of other wildlife. Several foot trails, some kept open by cowboys driving their stock and difficult to follow, give access to the most interesting spots in the Wilderness, but human use is very light.
Water usually flows year-round from a limited number of springs.
Fall to spring. Click here to find out how. Copyright Rodale, Inc. 2001.