Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Kachina Peaks Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Humphreys Peak from the Inner Basin Trail
Location	Coconino County, Arizona, US
Nearest city	Flagstaff, AZ
Coordinates	35°20′22″N 111°39′45″W / 35.33944°N 111.66250°W / 35.33944; -111.66250
Area	18,616 acres (75 km2)
Established	1984
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

Kachina Peaks Wilderness is a 18,616-acre (75 km²) wilderness area about 6 miles (10 km) north of Flagstaff within the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona.^[1]

The wilderness encompasses most of the upper reaches of the San Francisco Peaks including Humphreys Peak, Arizona's highest point at 12,643 feet (3,854 m). The area is named for the Hopi spirit beings, or Kachinas, some of whom according to Hopi mythology live here from July to December. In mid-summer kachinas can bring clouds and rain from the top of the peaks to the Hopi mesas during the seasonal monsoons.^[2] These peaks are sacred to tribes including the Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni. Several religious shrines have been identified in the wilderness, some of which are still in use.^[1]