Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness, National Wilderness Area in Coconino National Forest, Arizona.
Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness is a protected landscape in Arizona marked by red sandstone formations, natural arches, and deep canyons carved by water. The terrain rises steeply with dramatic cliffs, while creeks flow downward toward Oak Creek.
The area became officially protected in 1984 when designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This decision safeguarded the land's natural resources and prevented further development in the region.
Trails here carry the names of settlers and builders: Sterling Pass for a local settler, A.B. Young for the supervisor of a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps reconstruction, and Loy Canyon for the Samuel Loy family, who drove livestock to Mogollon Rim pastures in the 1880s. Petroglyphs and abandoned cliff dwellings remain in the wilderness.
Bring detailed maps and plenty of water, as remote sections lack reliable cell service. Proper gear and planning are essential before heading into these backcountry areas.
The wilderness holds the sandstone arch named for Gerard "Jerry" Vultee, an early California aircraft designer. The Vultee Arch Trail ends at a bronze plaque commemorating him and Sylvia Vultee, who died in an aircraft crash on January 29, 1938; the crash site lies over a mile north on East Picket Mesa.
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