For a complete listing of public laws and further information on district offices, click here. Some of the largest acreage of virgin ponderosa pine in the Southwest stands on Bear Wallow Wilderness, venerable reminders of a once extensive forest of these giants. Down the length of the area, through a blanket of pine, fir, and spruce, beautiful Bear Wallow Creek flows year-round, shaded by green riparian hardwoods. Early explorers were impressed by the large number of well-used wallows, which revealed how plentiful the area's population of black bears was. Black bears still abound, and you may see elk, deer, squirrels, and a diverse community of smaller mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Wildflowers bloom in profusion, especially during the summer rains.
Poison ivy grows tall and dangerously abundant. Five trails offer foot and horse access to Bear Wallow. Human use of Bear Wallow is light.