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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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Cabeza Prieta |
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Roger
Di Rosa,
Manager |
![]() Wildflowers in bloom at Cabeza Prieta NWR. |
Refuge Quick FactsWhen was it established?
1939 [EspaƱol] [Wildlife]
[Pronghorn] [Desert Bighorn
Sheep] [Species Lists] [Sonoran
Desert] [History] |
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Welcome
to Cabeza Prieta NWR |
![]() Harris hawk nesting in a saguaro. |
Boundless desert surrounds you in Cabeza Prieta, the third largest national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. Here, seven rugged mountain ranges cast shadows over barren valleys once swept by lava. Saguaros loom in stark profile above the baked earth. A 56-mile, shared border with Sonora, Mexico, might well be the loneliest international boundary on the continent. Imagine the state of Rhode Island without any people and only one wagon track of a road. Cabeza Prieta NWR is that big, that wild and also incredibly hostile to those who need lots of water to live. Yet, within a landscape at once magnificent and harsh, life does persist, even thrives. Temperatures may top 100 degrees F for 90 to 100 consecutive
days from June to October. Summer thundershowers and winter soaking rains
average about 3 inches on the western part of the Refuge and up to 9 inches
on the eastside, 60 miles away. The winter and summer pattern of rainfall
in the Sonoran
desert stimulates the growth of more plant species than in most deserts.
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CampingYou may select your own free campsite. Papago Well, Tule Well, and Christmas Pass camping areas have some facilities and are recommended for larger groups. State laws prohibit camping within 1/4 mile of water holes. Your presence at water holes prevents wildlife from quenching their thirst. No reservations are required. HuntingCabeza Prieta NWR offers a limited desert bighorn sheep hunt each December under State permit. This high quality hunting experience in a desert wilderness setting requires long hikes just to arrive at the base of many of the mountain ranges. Hunters must carry in their own food and water. Please contact the Refuge for more specific information about the bighorn sheep hunt. |
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See Arizona Links for more information about natural areas and tourism in Arizona.
Last Updated August, 2005