Kanab Creek Wilderness

Kanab Creek Wilderness is a 75300acre wilderness area located along the Coconino/Mohave County line in the U.S. state of Arizona, approximately 30mi south of Fredonia. 68600acre of the Wilderness are located in the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, the remaining 6700acre are administered by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management.One of the major tributaries of the Colorado River, Kanab Creek is the largest tributary canyon system on the north side of the Grand Canyon. From its origin approximately 50mi north in southern Utah, Kanab Creek and its feeder streams have cut a network of gorges with vertical walls deep into the Kanab and Kaibab Plateaus. Elevations in the Wilderness range from 2000ft at the river to about 6000ft on the rim.Evidence in Kanab Creek Wilderness indicates that this area was inhabited by prehistoric peoples up to approximately AD 1100. The Wilderness contains some of the most interesting and significant rock art in the Southwest.VegetationKanab Creek Wilderness is dominated by desert shrub blackbush, with occasional clumps of Indian ricegrass or needle-and-thread grass in the lower elevations. Along the drainage bottoms are groups of cottonwood, desert almond, western redbud, and single-leaf ash trees, though some of these riparian habitats are being invaded by salt cedar. The upper reaches have some stands of pinyon pine and juniper, but sagebrush dominates most of the area.