Cottonwood Forest Wilderness
Zion National Park's world-famous landscape of soaring cliff walls, forested plateaus, and deep, narrow gorges extends well beyond the boundaries of the park onto surrounding BLM and FS lands including the Cottonwood Forest Wilderness. The area is characterized by deep, narrow red rock canyons with intermittent surface water and seasonal flows. There are no designated system trails in the Wilderness, and travel is limited due to steep terrain. Seeps in the canyon walls provide water for bouquets of maidenhair fern, scarlet monkeyflower, and columbine. Hawks, falcons, and eagles nest along the sandstone walls, while deer, and cougar live in the canyon bottoms.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 2,648 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.24° N, 113.41° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 31) |
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 8 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
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 3 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Rim Trail | 3.2 |
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
- PrescribedBumblebee South Rx
20 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHarmony Ranch Community Rx
25 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHarmony Mountain Rx
25 mi from the center point
- PrescribedMiners Peak Rx
31 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
- 0.8 miWells Fargo and Company Express Building ↗Silver Reef, UT
- 1.2 miLeeds Ccc Camp Historic District ↗Leeds, UT
- 1.3 miLeeds Tithing Office ↗Leeds, UT
- 4.7 miNaegle Winery ↗Toquerville, UT
- 5.3 miSteele, John, House ↗Toquerville, UT
- 5.4 miForsyth, Thomas, House ↗Toquerville, UT
- 5.4 miToquerville Hall ↗Toquerville, UT
- 6.7 miLa Verkin Hydroelectric Power Plant ↗La Verkin, 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 Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
2,648 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Cottonwood Forest Wilderness in?
Utah.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Cottonwood Forest Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Cottonwood Forest 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 Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.244° N, 113.407° W. Zion National Park is 20 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Cottonwood Forest Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Bumblebee South Rx at 20 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
Zion National Park (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
The National Register has 40 listings within 15 miles, including Wells Fargo and Company Express Building and Leeds Ccc Camp Historic District.
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.