The United States Congress designated the South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness Area in 1990 and it now has a total of 60,100 acres. For a complete listing of public laws and further information on district offices, click here. A low-elevation Sonoran mountain range, the Maricopas stretch for 13 miles across this Wilderness of extensive desert plains. The eastern portion of the area contains an isolated and screened interior formed by long ridges and lone peaks separated by washes and plains. The western portion is primarily flat desert.
Vegetation consists of cholla, saguaro, ocotillo, paloverde, and mesquite.
Desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, deer, Gambel's quail, various raptors, desert tortoises, and numerous reptiles live here. An area of varied landforms and vast untamed wildness, South Maricopa is difficult to access, even though the corridor of Interstate 8 forms the southern boundary.