Hells Canyon Wilderness, Wilderness area in the Hieroglyphic Mountains, Arizona, US

Hells Canyon Wilderness is a 9,951-acre (4,027 ha) wilderness area in the Hieroglyphic Mountains, about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Phoenix in Maricopa and southeast Yavapai counties. Its highest points are Garfias Mountain at 3,381 feet (1,030.5 m) and Hellgate Mountain at 3,339 feet (1,017.7 m). Other peaks, most above 3,000 feet (910 m), ring Burro Flats and cut it off from the surrounding country. The slopes carry saguaro, paloverde, barrel cactus, ocotillo and desert grasses, with reddish-brown rock and pale soil exposed above and a dark band of layered cliff along the crest.

Hells Canyon Wilderness covers 9,951 acres of the Hieroglyphic Mountains, about 25 miles northwest of Phoenix in Maricopa and southeast Yavapai counties. On Earth Day 2008, The Wilderness Land Trust bought a 640-acre inholding near the center that included Hells Canyon itself, then held by a Phoenix-area land developer. Transfer of that parcel to the federal government would make the whole wilderness publicly owned.

The name comes from Hells Canyon itself, the ravine at the centre of the area. On Earth Day 2008 The Wilderness Land Trust bought a 640-acre inholding there from a Phoenix-area land developer; once transferred to the federal government, the whole wilderness will be publicly owned. Visitors today see saguaro, paloverde, barrel cactus and ocotillo.

The area is accessible mainly by hiking trails, with only primitive facilities available for overnight stays. Visitors should prepare for rough terrain and bring plenty of water and navigation tools, as infrastructure is minimal.

On Earth Day 2008, The Wilderness Land Trust bought a 640-acre inholding at the centre of the wilderness, including Hells Canyon itself, from a Phoenix-area land developer. Once the parcel is transferred to the federal government, the whole area will be publicly owned.