It is located within the Coronado National Forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, United States.

Due in part to increased residential and commercial development around the Santa Catalina Mountains in Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills, however, the Desert Bighorn Sheep population in the wilderness area has dwindled dramatically, and sightings have nearly ceased in recent years.

In early February 2014, 2 lambs were spotted by an Arizona Game and Fish Department official.

Trees found at mid-level elevations include mountain mahogany, juniper and pinyon pine.

The south face of the mountains is formed by Catalina gneiss with bands of white quartzite, this face is the form of a steep anticline and it is separated from the rest of the mountains by a series of valleys.