BLM · Arizona

Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area

Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area is a National Conservation Area located along the Gila River in southern Graham and Greenlee counties in southeastern Arizona in the United States. Administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the conservation area is approximately 23,000 acres (93 km2) in size. Campgrounds and hiking trails are available. The section of the Gila River that flows through the Gila Box is popular with white-water rafters and kayakers.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Riparian National Conservation Area23,668 acresBLMAZ2 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at Bureau of Land Management ↗
3 fires
active
Safford Piles Rx (prescribed burn) · 28 mi from the center · 367 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationRiparian National Conservation Area
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateArizona
Size23,668 acres
National Conservation Lands idNLCS000052
Center point32.95° N, 109.46° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 1.25 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.53 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.85 inches of precipitationApril: 0.47 inches of precipitationMay: 0.49 inches of precipitationJune: 0.43 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.12 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.28 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.71 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.45 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.33 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.11 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 48.1°F averageFebruary: 52.5°F averageMarch: 59.3°F averageApril: 66.1°F averageMay: 74.3°F averageJune: 84.4°F averageJuly: 87.4°F averageAugust: 84.6°F averageSeptember: 79.2°F averageOctober: 68.8°F averageNovember: 55.7°F averageDecember: 47.3°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Clifton, 11 miles from the center point at 3,520 feet, station USC00021849 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

BLM · Inside
Owl Creek Campground
First-comeAZ
BLM · Inside
Riverview Campground
First-comeAZ

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Safford Piles Rx

    28 mi from the center point · 367 acres

  • Prescribed
    D3 Bear Rx

    34 mi from the center point · 5,072 acres

  • Prescribed
    D3 Hagen Rx

    36 mi from the center point · 5,757 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 31 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Arizona

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area?

23,668 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

What state is Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area in?

Arizona.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area?

Rules vary by unit. The BLM page has the current camping rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area?

A point inside the boundary is at 32.950° N, 109.456° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

Is there a fire near Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Safford Piles Rx at 28 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there historic places near Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area?

The National Register has 31 listings within 15 miles, including Gila River Bridge and Kearny Campsite and Trail.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the BLM National Conservation Lands layer.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.