Needle's Eye Wilderness

Needle's Eye Wilderness is an 8760 acre wilderness area located approximately 20 mi southeast of the town of Globe in Gila County in the U.S. state of Arizona.

Topography
The Mescal Mountains run northwest across the center of Needle's Eye Wilderness. The southwest flank of the range forms a dip slope of Paleozoic limestone more than 2500 ft high. The Gila River forms the Wilderness area's southern boundary as it cuts through the mountains in three narrow, 1000 ft deep canyons known as the Needle's Eye. A deep riparian zone covers the narrow river channel, forming the southern boundary of this area. Several small slickrock canyons bisect the Wilderness and connect to the Gila River.

Access
Needle's Eye Wilderness is surrounded by the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation to the north and south, and private lands to the east and west. Visitors must obtain permission in advance to access the Wilderness.