Peloncillo Mountains Wilderness Area

Wilderness Management Plan

Location and Description

peloncillo mtns wilderness The 19,440-acre Peloncillo Mountains Wilderness is located 9 miles northeast of San Simon, Arizona, in Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties.

The wilderness lies within the rugged Peloncillo Range, which stretches from Mexico to the Gila River. This remote and primitive area flanking the New Mexico state line shows little signs of human activity. The Peloncillo Mountain Wilderness offers outstanding opportunities for primitive recreation, including hiking, backpacking, rock scrambling, hunting and sightseeing. The higher country offers long-distance views; and excellent scenery enhances wilderness values in the rugged mountains and canyons.

Desert bighorn sheep have been recently reintroduced to the region and share their home with peregrine falcons and four other sensitive animal species. Vegetation ranges from desert shrub grasslands in the surrounding flatlands to oak juniper woodlands in the higher reaches. The area is also rich in archaeological sites with the historic Butterfield Stage route forming the southern boundary of the wilderness.

Access

peloncillo mtns wilderness To access the northern portion of the wilderness area, travel east from Duncan, Arizona, on State Highway 70 then south on Summit Road. To reach the southern portion of the wilderness area can be gained by traveling north of San Simon, Arizona, on either the West Doubtful Road or the road leading to McKenzie Peak. High-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for access to the wilderness boundary. For more details on access, contact the office listed below.

Nonfederal Lands

Some lands adjacent to the wilderness are private or State lands. Please respect landowners' property rights and do not cross or use these lands without permission.

Related Maps

  • 7.5-minute Topographic: Orange Butte, Engine Mountain, San Simon and Doubtful Canyon
  • 1:100,000 BLM Surface Management: Willcox
  • Game and Fish Management Unit 28

For more information contact:

  Safford Field Office
711 14th Avenue
Safford, AZ 85546-3337
Phone: (928) 348-4400
Fax: (928) 348-4450
E-mail: SFOWEB_AZ@blm.gov 
Field Manager:  Scott Cooke
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., M-F

"From the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind."
Henry David Thoreau, 1851