Cottonwood Wash photo by Tim Avery

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Description:
Cottonwood Wash is a dry desert canyon with steep cliff walls on either side, and a flat wide canyon bottom.  The wash extends north from the town of Bluff.

Birding:
Most of the birding is done at the parking turn around at the gate.  You may be able to bird further up the wash, but the habitat is much the same. The boulder strewn hillsides are good to look for both ROCK and CANYON WREN.  The cliffs above are home to colonies of WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, and PEREGRINE FALCON are occasionally seen here.  BLACK-THROATED SPARROW inhabit the canyon year round.  In April 2006 a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW found here was the first notable species observed in the wash.

Directions:
From Hwy 191/Main Street in Bluff, turn north on to 3rd West form the center of town and follow the road into Cottonwood Wash.  Eventually you will come to a gate where you can park.