East Cactus Plain Wilderness
Bouse, ARIZONA

East Cactus Plain Wilderness offers a truly exceptional desert experience. A wonderland of sand dunes with surprisingly lush vegetation will offer the explorer an abundance of opportunities. There are many cactus species, desert trees and shrubs, and plenty of wild flowers in spring time. Access is via the town of Bouse, in western Arizona. The Swansea Rd. runs northeast to the ghost town of Swansea. The signs after leaving Bouse indicate it is a "Primitive Road" but I had no trouble with my 2-wheel drive pick-up. About 12 miles after leaving Bouse, the road crosses the CAP (Central Arizona Project) canal. Sand Verbena and Dunes Evening Primrose are the most conspicuous spring wildflowers. There are no established trails into the wilderness so that an extended hike would require a good topo map and a compass.

Services including food and fuel can be found in the town of Bouse or Quartzite.

Yellow Flowers

1. Bladderpod -- Lesquerella sp.
2. Sahara Mustard -- Brassica tournefortii - (harmful invasive weed)

Orange Flowers

1. Orange Fiddleneck -- Amsinckia intermedia

White Flowers

1. Dunes Evening Primrose -- Oenothera deltoidae
2. Pincushion -- Chaenactis
3. Desert Lily -- Hesperocallis undulata
4. Guadalupe Cryptantha -- Cryptantha maritima
5. Peppergrass -- Lepidium lasiocarpum
6. Arch-nutted Comb Bur -- Pectocarya recurvata

Purple/Blue Flowers

1. Locoweed -- Astragalus
2. Wolfberry -- Lycium spp.

Pink/Lavender Flowers

1. Filaree -- Erodium cicutarium
2. Bigelow's Four O'Clock;Desert Wishbone Bush -- Mirabilis laevis
3. Sand Verbena -- Abronia villosa

Greenish Flowers

1. White Bursage -- Ambrosia dumosa
2. Indianwheat; Woolly Plantain -- Plantago ovata