USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Arizona

Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge

Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in Arizona. The 2,770-acre (11.2 km2) refuge was established in 1988 to protect habitat for the endangered Yaqui Chub and Yaqui Topminnow. The refuge also protects a rare velvet ash-cottonwood-black walnut gallery forest.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge24,801 acresUSFWSAZ2 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
1fire
active
Douglas Piles Rx (prescribed burn) · 11 mi from the center · 14 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateArizona
Size24,801 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 2
Center point31.6355, -109.4847
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25)

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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 2 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 5.9 mi
Walnut Grove Campground
First-comeAZ
FS · 6.3 mi
Camp Rucker Group Site
Reservable1 site

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Douglas Piles Rx

    11 mi from the center point · 14 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 Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · 22 mi
Chiricahua National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 10 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

24,801 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge in?

Arizona.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Walnut Grove Campground, 5.9 miles out. 2 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 31.636, -109.485. Chiricahua National Monument is 22 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Douglas Piles Rx at 11 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 25 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

Chiricahua National Monument (22 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge?

10 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Monte Vista Lookout Cabin and Douglas Underpass.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge 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.