Galiuro Wilderness
| Galiuro Wilderness | |
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IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
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| Location | Graham County, Arizona, United States |
| Nearest city | San Manuel, AZ |
| Coordinates | 32°35′12″N 110°19′48″W / 32.58667°N 110.33000°WCoordinates: 32°35′12″N 110°19′48″W / 32.58667°N 110.33000°W |
| Area | 76,317 acres (309 km2) |
| Established | 1964 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Galiuro Wilderness is a 76,317-acre (309 km2) wilderness area encompassing the mid to upper slopes of the Galiuro Mountains. It is located within the Safford Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest in the American state of Arizona. It is bordered on the south by the Redfield Canyon Wilderness.
Elevations in the Galiuro Wilderness range from 4,000 feet (1,219 m) to 7,671 feet (2,338 m) at the summit of Bassett Peak. The Galiuro Mountain Range is a very rough and brushy block fault range characterized by block-like uplifts rising abruptly from relatively level plains that are characteristic of southern Arizona. Erosion has produced many rugged cliffs and steep slopes which have brightly colored exposed soils and rocks. The mountain is a double range bisected by two main canyons, Rattlesnake and Redfield. The wilderness boundary generally follows the forest boundary on the west and approximately one mile east of Trail 287 on the east. The most prominent peaks and high points in the Wilderness include Bassett Peak at 7,671 feet (2,338 m), Kennedy Peak at 7,540 feet (2,298 m), and Sunset Peak at 7,094 feet (2,162 m) along the east divide. Those along the west divide include Rhodes Peak at 7,116 feet (2,169 m), Maverick Mountain at 6,990 feet (2,131 m), and Kielberg Peak at6,880 feet (2,097 m).
The vegetation growing in Galiuro Wilderness varies from species of the semi-desert grassland type to those of the mixed conifer type. The majority of the south and west-facing slopes of the Galiuro Range are covered with dense stands of manzanita, live oak, mahogany and other brush species. The higher slopes and ridgetops have moderate to dense stands of juniper, pinon pine, and oak trees. Along the canyon bottoms and on the northern slopes of the higher elevations grow Arizona cypress, Ponderosa pine, Chihuahua pine, Mexican white pine, Douglas fir, and smaller stands of white fir. Deciduous trees such as sycamore, alder, maple, ash, walnut, and aspen grow in the riparian areas where springs supply water almost year-round, including Power's Garden, Mud Spring, Corral Spring, Juniper Spring, South Field Spring, Kielberg Dam, Walnut Spring, Cedar Spring, and Holdout Spring.
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