| Pajarita Wilderness | |
|---|---|
 Looking west over the Pajarita Wilderness and surrounding mountains on both sides of theU.S.-Mexican border | |
  | |
| Location | Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States |
| Nearest city | Nogales, AZ |
| Coordinates | 31°23′35″N111°12′25″W / 31.39306°N 111.20694°W /31.39306; -111.20694 |
| Area | 7,499 acres (30 km2) |
| Established | 1984 (1984) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Pajarita Wilderness is a protectedwilderness area managed by theCoronado National Forest in theU.S. state ofArizona. Established in 1984 under theArizona Wilderness Act, the array of canyons that make up the area sit at the western end of thePajarito Mountains, and form a well-known migration route for birds. Sycamore Canyon is the centerpiece of the wilderness, a riparian forest that supports more than 160 bird species.[1]
Elevation ranges from 3,800 to 4,800 feet (1,200 to 1,500 m), and the area provides excellent habitat for more than 660 species of plants. The Sycamore Canyon trail is a popular hiking destination very close to the international border betweenMexico and the United States.[2]
As of September 2020, construction of the U.S. government'sborder wall system and accompanying supply roads (and groundwater pumping) bycontractors working forCustoms and Border Protection are threatening the wilderness area. Scientists and environmentalists have voiced concerns about the border wall system's impact on ocelot, mountain lion, black bear, and jaguar wildlife corridors protected within the Pajarita Wilderness and nearby areas of Southern Arizona where the project is planned.[3][4]