Orocopia Mountains Wilderness

Description:

• Forces of nature have produced a striking landscape in the Orocopia Mountains Wilderness. Open valleys, ridges and highly colorful and dramatically eroded canyons are the result of the region's proximity to the San Andreas fault system. Deep canyons and washes cut across the entire area, exposing walls of color shaded from bright red to black. Bighorn sheep, burro deer, desert tortoise and many small upland game species live among the mountains. The spiny-leaved Orocopia sage, Alverson's foxtail cactus, Orcutts woody aster and Mecca aster grow unexpectedly in washes, on stony slopes, and in gypsum soils.