Woodchute Wilderness

Woodchute Wilderness
South end of Trail #102
Map showing the location of Woodchute Wilderness
Map showing the location of Woodchute Wilderness
LocationYavapai County, Arizona, United States
Nearest cityJerome (town)
Coordinates34°45′07″N 112°10′49″W / 34.75194°N 112.18028°W / 34.75194; -112.18028
Area5,923 acres (2,397 ha)
Established1984
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service

Woodchute Wilderness is a 5,923-acre (2,397 ha) wilderness area in Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona.[1] It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Jerome.[2] Elevation within the area, on the flanks of Woodchute Mountain, ranges from 5,500 to 7,800 feet (1,700 to 2,400 m).[1] A chute on the north side of the mountain helped transport wood to historic Jerome.[3]

The wilderness lies within the Munds Draw and Hickey Mountain quadrangles of the national topographic map of the United States Geological Survey.[4] Two trails totaling 8 miles (13 km) cross the protected area.[3] The main trail is Woodchute Trail #102, which connects to the 1.4-mile (2.3 km) Rick Tank Cutoff Trail #104 in the southern part of the wilderness.[5]

Ponderosa pine dominates the upper elevations of the reserve; pinyon pine and Utah juniper are more common at lower and dryer elevations.[1] Wildlife includes American black bear, elk, cougar, mule deer, whitetail deer, bald eagles, and golden eagles.[3] The reserve has views of the San Francisco Peaks to the north and the Verde Valley, including the red rocks of Sedona, to the east.[3]

  1. ^ a b c "Woodchute Wilderness". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  2. ^ "Woodchute Wilderness Map". Wilderness.net. University of Montana. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "Woodchute Wilderness". Wilderness.net. University of Montana. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  4. ^ "Woodchute Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. December 1, 1991. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  5. ^ "Rick Tank Cutoff Trail #104". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved November 1, 2012.