Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Graham and Pinal Counties, Arizona

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness is a 19,410-acre protected area in southeastern Arizona where Aravaipa Creek flows year-round for 20 miles. The 11-mile canyon has steep walls of layered tan and brown rock rising above a narrow stream lined with bright green sycamore, cottonwood, willow, walnut, ash, and white oak. Nine side canyons and surrounding tablelands form the northwest border of the Galiuro Mountains.

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness was designated a wilderness area in 1984 and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The adjacent Aravaipa Canyon Preserve, contiguous with the federal wilderness, protects 7,000 acres of private land held by The Nature Conservancy. Pedestrian entry to the preserve requires prior authorization from preserve staff.

The name Aravaipa comes from an Apache word meaning "laughing waters", referring to the creek that flows year-round through the canyon. Visitors can hike to the abandoned cabin at the Parsons Grove site, a remnant of earlier settlement in the canyon. The canyon floor holds sycamore, cottonwood, willow, walnut, ash and white oak, while mesquite grows above the floodplain.

A permit and fee are required, with use capped at 50 people per day; permits come from the BLM. Pedestrians may enter only with prior authorization from preserve staff. There are two trailheads: the East Trailhead off U.S. Highway 70 between Safford and Bylas, and the West Trailhead off Arizona Route 77 between Mammoth and Winkelman. Hiking the canyon usually means wading Aravaipa Creek, so wear footwear you can get wet.

Year-round water flow supports large sycamore, ash, cottonwood, and willow trees that create a forest-like environment in the middle of the desert. This permanent stream makes it possible for wildlife that typically requires riparian conditions to thrive far from other river systems.