From here the Apache defended their homeland by launching surprise attacks on U.S. Army troops and pioneer settlements, and here the Chiricahua Apache Indian Reservation stood for a short time. Today, the Wilderness adjoins Chiricahua National Monument. Home to some of the most starkly spectacular geology of the southwestern United States, this mountainous realm rises to a climax on Chiricahua Peak at 9,797 feet. Many of the unusual birds that live here are most often seen in Mexico. The terrain supports diverse plant life, such as cactus and fine stands of ponderosa pine, Mexican white pine, Apache pine, Chiricahua pine, Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, white fir, aspen, juniper, pi on, madrona, and oak.
Wildlife includes peccaries, coatimundies, and a plentiful supply of hungry black bears.
Due to dense brush and timber growth, steep elevations, precipitous canyon walls, an undependable water supply, and the threat of flash floods, few humans venture from the 13 established pathways in the well-developed trail system. Trailheads at Pole Bridge and Morse Canyon give easy access to the Wilderness, and the Morse Canyon Trail rewards hikers for their efforts with excellent views over some of the roughest country in southeastern Arizona.