Escudilla Wilderness
As naturalist and author Aldo Leopold had observed in the A Sand County Almanac essay entitled "Escudilla" broad, towering, Escudilla Mountain is visible from just about anywhere in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. The Escudilla Wilderness encompasses the upper reaches of the mountain, which at 10,912 feet is the third highest in the state. A young Aldo Leopold began his US Forest Service career on Arizona's Apache National Forest, and later wrote of his experiences in the pages of A Sand County Almanac. Within "Escudilla" he describes the death of the last known grizzly bear in Arizona ("Old Bigfoot"), who made the mountain his home, at the hands of a predator control agent.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 5,158 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.95° N, 109.11° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15) |
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 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Escudilla National Recreation ↗ | 2.9 |
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
- PrescribedD6 - Luna Rx
9 mi from the center point · 2,156 acres
- PrescribedD6 - Heifer Rx
16 mi from the center point · 3,116 acres
- PrescribedD6 Wallow West Unit 6 Rx
21 mi from the center point · 7,605 acres
- PrescribedFta Tonto North Rx
30 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
- 5.2 miAlpine Elementary School ↗Alpine, AZ
- 11.1 miWater Canyon Administrative Site ↗Springerville, AZ
- 13.1 miEagar School ↗Eagar, AZ
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Arizona
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 Escudilla Wilderness?
5,158 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Escudilla Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Escudilla Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Escudilla Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Escudilla 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 Escudilla Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.948° N, 109.113° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Escudilla Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest D6 - Luna Rx at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Escudilla Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Alpine Elementary School and Water Canyon Administrative 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.