Visit Wilderness

Search for a wilderness as the destination for your next outdoor adventure.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Minnesota

Why Visit Wilderness?

While wilderness can be appreciated from afar—through online content, television, or books—nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. Activities like camping, hiking, or hunting allow you to fully enjoy the recreational, ecological, spiritual, and health benefits that wilderness areas offer. These areas provide “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation,” chances to observe wildlife, moments to renew and refresh, and the physical benefits of outdoor exercise. In many wilderness areas, you can even bring your well-behaved dog.

Learn more about the diverse ways in which we benefit from wilderness and threats wilderness areas face today.

The Miller Peak Wilderness lies between the city of Sierra Vista and the Mexican border in the southern half of the Huachuca Mountains.

More than 170 species of birds have been spotted here, including 14 kinds of hummingbirds. More than 60 species of reptiles and 78 species of mammals inhabit the area.

Elevations range from 5,200 feet to 9,466 feet atop Miller Peak, the highest southernmost peak in the United States. Many sheer cliffs rise hundreds of feet above the canyon floors.

Once cloaked in pine and fir, many recent fires have converted much of this area to predominantly oak, aspen and grass vegetation.

At least 21 trails lead through the Wilderness from its eastern, western, and southern boundaries. From the Crest Trail (11.5 miles) one can reach the top of Miller Peak. The Arizona Trail also traverses this Wilderness before reaching its southern terminus at the U.S./Mexican border.

Throughout the area, visitors may encounter evidence of the region's bygone mining and ranching days.

Visitors are urged to use caution in this Wilderness due to illegal drug and human smuggling activity associated with the nearby international border. Stay alert and move away from any suspicious activity before attempting to contact authorities. Camping away from trails and water sources is recommended. Contact the local Forest Service office for current information.

A large wildfire that began in Mexico burned through much of the Miller Peak Wilderness in summer, 2011. Some trails are still closed and visitors are urged to use caution and watch for falling trees and other hazards. Contact the local Sierra Vista Ranger District office for current conditions and closure information.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Miller Peak Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Miller Peak Wilderness
FS Topographic Map
Google Earth

Arizona Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 98-406

Date: August 28, 1984
Acreage: 20,190 acres

Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 - Public Law 98-406 (8/28/1984) Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984

For more information (To download or see all affected wilderness areas) visit our law library for 98-406 or special provisions for 98-406 or legislative history for 98-406.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

People who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Groups are listed alphabetically by the state(s) in which the wilderness is located.