BLM · Wilderness area · Utah

Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness

The Big Wildhorse Mesa Wilderness surrounds the Goblin Valley State Park on three sides. This sparsely vegetated landscape bares its geology to be easily observed. Capped and protected from erosion by...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateUtah
Size18,192 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2019, by Congress
Center point38.5329, -110.6992
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 34)

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. 4 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Register listings within 15 miles · 1 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

18,192 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness in?

Utah.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2019.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is South Temple Wash, 5.4 miles out. 4 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 38.533, -110.699. Capitol Reef National Park is 30 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 34 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 Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

Capitol Reef National Park (30 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Hanksville Meetinghouse--School.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • 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.