Unit 7W, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 4,200 to 10,418 feet, with an average of roughly 7,000 feet. The high point is Kendrick Peak, a lava dome (dacite/rhyolite) surrounded by other volcanic formations including Slate Mountain and Sitgreaves Mountain (also a series of lava domes), all part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Terrain is characterized by forested plateaus, open parks and meadows, and rolling to broken volcanic hills at lower elevations. The Kendrick Mountain Wilderness (6,510 acres) occupies the steep forested summit area and is accessible only by foot and horseback.

Primary access highways are I-40/Route 66 along the south and AZ Highway 64 (Valle Road) to the west. Forest Road 171 (Kendrick Park Road) and associated Kaibab National Forest and Coconino National Forest roads provide the primary interior access network; 4WD is recommended in wet or snow conditions as roads can become impassable. The unit lies primarily within the Kaibab National Forest (Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts) with a smaller portion in the Coconino National Forest. Motorized cross-country travel is prohibited under the Travel Management Rule — hunters must use Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) designated routes; ATVs are allowed on designated roads only; motorized carcass retrieval for antelope, deer, bear, and turkey is restricted on National Forest lands (motorized retrieval is permitted for elk). The Kendrick Mountain Wilderness (6,510 acres around the Kendrick Peak summit, designated 1984) is closed to motorized vehicles and requires foot or horseback access. Private land amounts to approximately 12% of the unit, with scattered inholdings primarily at lower elevations; verify ownership before crossing. The nearest AZGFD regional office is Region II, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86005 (928-774-5045). No tribal land boundaries fall within 7W. Kendrick Mountain Wilderness is the only designated wilderness confirmed within the unit.

The unit is dominated by ponderosa pine forest at mid to upper elevations (roughly 6,500–10,000 ft), part of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world — a claim widely cited by AZGFD for the Mogollon Rim/Coconino Plateau region. Mixed conifer (fir, spruce) and aspen occur near the Kendrick Peak summit. Pinyon-juniper woodland mixed with mountain mahogany and other brush types covers lower and transitional elevations (4,200–6,500 ft). Open grassland parks and meadows such as Government Prairie (west of Kendrick Peak) and open areas along the Highway 64 corridor provide important pronghorn and elk foraging habitat. Several historical burn areas within the unit provide post-fire forage that supports elk and deer. Riparian stringers are limited.

Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) are the unit's signature species, with a year-round resident population that concentrates in the ponderosa pine parks and burns during summer and fall, and drifts to lower pinyon-juniper fringe in winter; significant snowfall (18–24 in) typically pushes herds to northern winter range. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are present throughout the unit, using ponderosa and pinyon-juniper habitat. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) inhabit open meadows and grassland parks such as Government Prairie (west of Kendrick Peak) and along the Highway 64 corridor. Black bear (Ursus americanus) are present and use the full elevational range, with activity increasing in fall as bears feed on acorns and pinyon nuts before denning. Merriam's turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) occupy mixed-conifer and ponderosa habitat. Mountain lion are present throughout, following deer and elk populations. Abert's and red squirrels are common in ponderosa forest. No javelina or bighorn sheep (desert or Rocky Mountain) are present in this unit per AZGFD distribution maps.