John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell was a U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He is famous for his 1869 geographic expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers, including the first official U.S. government-sponsored passage through the Grand Canyon.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Conservation Lands unit |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 29,478 acres |
| National Conservation Lands id | NLCS000857 |
| Center point | 40.58° N, 109.15° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
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
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
4 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 7 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedD1 Pondo Rx
30 mi from the center point · 532 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
- 6.8 miQuarry Visitor Center ↗National Historic Landmark
- 3 miJulien, Denis, Inscription ↗Dinosaur, CO
- 6.9 miDouglass, Earl, Workshop--Laboratory ↗Dinosaur National Monument, UT
- 11 miMantle's Cave ↗Dinosaur, CO
- 11.3 miUpper Wade and Curtis Cabin ↗Dinosaur, CO
- 13.3 miOld Ladore School ↗Brown's Park, CO
- 13.6 miTwo-Bar Ranch ↗Maybell, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Utah
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is John Wesley Powell?
29,478 acres.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages John Wesley Powell?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Bureau of Land Management
What state is John Wesley Powell in?
Utah.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at John Wesley Powell?
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 John Wesley Powell?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.581° N, 109.152° W. Dinosaur National Monument is 8 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Bureau of Land Management
Is there a fire near John Wesley Powell right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest D1 Pondo Rx at 30 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near John Wesley Powell?
Dinosaur National Monument (8 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near John Wesley Powell?
The National Register has 7 listings within 15 miles, including Quarry Visitor Center and Julien, Denis, Inscription.
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: John Wesley Powell 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.