Sycamore Canyon

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Sycamore Canyon from Sycamore Point, south of Williams, Arizona.
Sycamore Canyon, Arizona

Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country, after Oak Creek Canyon. The 21-mile (34 km) long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about 7 miles (11 km). It is in North Central Arizona below the Mogollon Rim west and northwest of Sedona in Yavapai and Coconino counties.

Sycamore Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, flows though the canyon. The mouth of the canyon is at 35°51′50″N 112°04′18″W / 35.86389°N 112.07167°W / 35.86389; -112.07167 (Sycamore Canyon)Coordinates: 35°51′50″N 112°04′18″W / 35.86389°N 112.07167°W / 35.86389; -112.07167 (Sycamore Canyon).[1] Sycamore Canyon enters the Verde River canyon 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-northwest of Clarkdale.[1]

Located within three different U.S. National Forests, the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests, Sycamore Canyon is home to a variety of wildlife including black bear, deer, and mountain lion. Unlike the nearby and more heavily visited Oak Creek Canyon, much of Sycamore Canyon is protected by the 56,000-acre (23,000 ha) Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, located at 35°07′31″N 112°00′04″W / 35.12528°N 112.00111°W / 35.12528; -112.00111 (Sycamore Canyon Wilderness), and therefore roads and developed campgrounds are nonexistent. Hiking and horseback riding are the only ways to visit the canyon. The most popular access is via the Parsons Spring trail, upriver from Tuzigoot National Monument. A high clearance vehicle is helpful to reach the trailhead.

Sycamore Canyon is one of the oldest designated Wilderness Areas in Arizona, originally being a Forest Service "Primitive Area" prior to the Wilderness Act of 1964.

There is a second, less well-known Sycamore Canyon in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, located in the Pajarito Wilderness of the Coronado National Forest, and continuing south into Sonora, Mexico.

Other notable Sycamore Canyons in the Western United States are near Newbury Park, California,[2] and Poway, California,[3] among others.

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sycamore Canyon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. February 8, 1980. Retrieved March 13, 2013. 
  2. ↑ LocalHikes - Sycamore Canyon Falls
  3. ↑ Goodan Ranch - Poway, California - Parks and Recreation - San Diego
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