Fishhooks Wilderness
Sharing a long northeastern border with San Carlos Indian Reservation, Fishhooks Wilderness is a haven of solitude in an isolated and seldom visited region of Arizona. (Be forewarned: if you want to wander into the reservation you'll need a special permit.) Ruggedly beautiful with grand vistas, the area contains Upper, Middle, and Lower Fishhooks, as well as Sam, Steer Springs, and Dutch Pasture Canyons, all of which offer pleasant hiking among shady riparian vegetation. Set in the Gila Mountains, Gila Peak, on the southern side of the Wilderness, rises to 6,629 feet (the lowest point in the Wilderness being about 4,000 feet) and supports a border piñon pine forest found only in southeastern Arizona.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 10,500 acres |
| Designated | 1990, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.22° N, 109.98° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedD3 Bear Rx
37 mi from the center point · 5,072 acres
- PrescribedD3 Hagen Rx
38 mi from the center point · 5,757 acres
- PrescribedSafford Piles Rx
40 mi from the center point · 367 acres
- PrescribedFta Tonto North Rx
43 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.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Fishhooks Wilderness?
10,500 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Fishhooks Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Fishhooks Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Fishhooks Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1990.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Fishhooks Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.218° N, 109.983° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Fishhooks Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest D3 Bear Rx at 37 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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.