About Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona appears at first glance to be a harsh, arid landscape, armed with spines, thorns, and venomous snakes. But a closer look shows a land of fragile beauty, bursting with flowers and fruit after a wet winter; a homeland for ancient peoples, where the signs of their art and culture still inspire awe and imagination; and a vanishing oasis of habitat for vulnerable plants and wildlife, such as the majestic desert bighorn.
The monument contains magnificent examples of untrammeled Sonoran Desert landscape. The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts, and the monument captures a significant portion of that diversity. The most striking aspect of the plant community within the monument is the extensive saguaro cactus forest. The monument contains three distinct mountain ranges, the Maricopa, Sand Tank and Table Top Mountains, as well as the Booth and White Hills, all separated by wide valleys. The monument also contains three Congressionally designated wilderness areas and many significant archaeological and historic sites, and remnants of several important historic trails.
Threats to the Existence and Protection of Sonoran Desert
The Monument is threatened by grazing; off-road vehicle use; and potential reduction of wilderness quality (roads are required to have a rest area of every sixty miles, including in Monuments.)
Sonoran Desert Facts
- Location: South central Arizona, 60 miles from Phoenix
- Size: The outer boundaries encompass approximately 496,337 acres
- Date: On January 17, 2001, Sonoran Desert National Monument was created
- Managing Agency: The Bureau of Land Management
Partner Groups
Arizona Wilderness Coalition
