Mysteries of Sonoran Desert life are slowly revealed and abundantly displayed at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. This International Biosphere Reserve, is an ecorich collection of plants and animals that have adapted to living throughout this surprisingly diverse geological landscape. Scenic drives, wilderness hikes and camping can lead to unravelling the mysteries that await your discovery. 

Photo: National Park Service 

Before highways and railways, before pioneers, even before Columbus…..the land we know as the United States was truly a vast wilderness. To protect these last remaining areas, in 1984 Congress created the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Paria Canyon’s outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation will remain free from the influence of man and are protected in this condition for future generations. Its 112,500 acres beckon adventurers who yearn for solitude, scenic splendor, and the chance to explore one of the longest and deepest slot canyons in the world.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Manager Kevin Wright hikes Coyote Buttes South in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona. 

Photo: Rachel Tueller, Bureau of Land Management

Cabezon Peak’s dramatic volcanic formation is one of the most well-known landmarks in northwest New Mexico. The peak is believed to have religious significance for the Pueblo and Navajo Indians, and remnants of their visits still exist. 

Photo: Bureau of Land Management 

One of the great things about visiting Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is that sense of discovery that happens when you round the bend in the river, or you finally reach the top of the ridge. Those moments that take your breath away and you feel like you’re the first person to ever gaze upon the landscape. There are no roads, no trails, no signs; you can wander at will and discover for yourself the treasures of this vast wilderness. 

Photo: National Park Service 

Here is another stunning shot from the Bureau of Land Management Utah’s photo contest. This photo is of Kanarraville Falls, which is part of the Spring and Kanarra Creek Wilderness Study Area. 

Spring Creek and Kanarra Creek Canyons offer stunning narrow red rock canyons.  These canyons are pleasant and often spectacular hiking along the creek bottom. These canyons are located 0.5-mile South and 0.5 East of Kanarraville and are restricted to foot traffic only, as these tracts are designated as a Wilderness Study Area or WSA.

Photo: Jennifer Evans 

The 41,170-acre Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a remote desolate area of steeply eroded badlands which offers some of the most unusual scenery found in the Four Corners region. Time and natural elements have etched a fantasy world of strange rock formations and fossils. It is an ever-changing environment that offers the visitor a remote wilderness experience. Translated from the Navajo language, Bisti means “a large area of shale hills” and is commonly pronounced (Bis-tie). De-Na-Zin (Deh-nah-zin) takes its name from the Navajo words for “cranes.” Petroglyphs of cranes have been found south of the wilderness area.

Photo: Raghuveer Makala - Bureau of Land Management