Box-Death Hollow Wilderness
Vertical gray-orange walls of Navajo sandstone stand above two canyon tributaries of the Escalante River in Box-Death Hollow Wilderness. This is canyon country, home to numerous monoclines–places where fault lines have made layers of earth rise and fall sharply, exposing the colorful strata of sediment. The name Death Hollow gives reference to a number of livestock that plunged to their death trying to cross the steep canyon. Running north-south through a steeply dipping monocline, Pine Creek forms the area known as "The Box." Death Hollow Creek, east of The Box, has carved its way through a gently dipping monocline. Raging waters often flood these canyon narrows after a rain. Pinion and juniper cover many of the plateaus above the canyons.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 25,635 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.90° N, 111.60° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 28) |
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
None of the 4 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 24 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Death Hollow ↗ | 10.7 | |
| The Box Trail ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Coleman Trail | 2.8 | |
| Roundy Trail | 1.9 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedEscalante Municipal Piles Rx
6 mi from the center point
- PrescribedUpper Valley Piles Rx
16 mi from the center point
- PrescribedFlake Mountain Rx
30 mi from the center point
- PrescribedMud Springs Broadcast Rx
35 mi from the center point
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
- 4.8 miBoulder Elementary School ↗Boulder, UT
- 4.9 miCoombs Village Site ↗Boulder, UT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Utah
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 Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
25,635 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Box-Death Hollow Wilderness in?
Utah.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Box-Death Hollow Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.904° N, 111.597° W. Capitol Reef National Park is 29 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Box-Death Hollow Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Escalante Municipal Piles Rx at 6 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Capitol Reef National Park (29 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Boulder Elementary School and Coombs Village Site.
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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.