Sycamore Canyon is a long, scenic canyon in north-central Arizona and the second largest in the state’s red rock country after Oak Creek Canyon. Carved by Sycamore Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, it extends about 21 miles and reaches up to 7 miles wide before joining the larger Verde River canyon north-northwest of Clarkdale. Much of it lies within the 56,000-acre Sycamore Canyon Wilderness across the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests, where black bear, deer, and mountain lion live. Its importance also lies in conservation history: largely undeveloped and reached mainly by hiking or horseback, it was recognized as a Primitive Area before the Wilderness Act of 1964.