Four Peaks Wilderness
Rising from desert foothills near the center of the Wilderness, a major mountain with four peaks can be seen from great distances in all directions. From the craggy summits the land drops down a complex series of ridges and drainages to bluffs and deep gorges. Elevations vary from around 1,600 feet to 7,657 feet on Brown's Peak, the highest of the four peaks. Ponderosa pine and some Douglas fir grow in the highlands. A few aspen stand on the north side of Brown's Peak. Intermediate elevations have produced impenetrable thickets of manzanita, Gambel oak, and pinion pine. Below 4,000 feet, grasslands blend into the Upper Sonoran Desert and impressively huge saguaro cacti thrive.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 60,773 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.64° N, 111.36° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25) |
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 9 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.
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Trails
10 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 44 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Four Peaks ↗ | 12.2 | |
| Alder ↗ | 11.5 | |
| Soldier ↗ | 7.3 | |
| Chillicut | 2.8 | |
| Cane Spring | 2.3 | |
| Lower Soldier | 2 | |
| Pigeon ↗ | 2 | |
| Browns | 1.9 | |
| Oak Flat | 1.8 | |
| Alder Ridge | 0.6 |
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
- PrescribedRx Payson Pits Tnf0401P
48 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
- under 0.1 miMormon Flat Dam ↗Phoenix, AZ
- 0.1 miHorse Mesa Dam ↗Phoenix, AZ
- 0.8 miMormon Flat Bridge ↗Tortilla Flat, AZ
- 1.1 miBoulder Creek Bridge ↗Tortilla Flat, AZ
- 1.4 miPine Creek Bridge ↗Tortilla Flat, AZ
- 3.2 miFish Creek Bridge ↗Tortilla Flat, AZ
- 4.2 miLewis and Pranty Creek Bridge ↗Tortilla Flat, AZ
- 4.3 miStewart Mountain Dam ↗Phoenix, AZ
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Arizona
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Four Peaks Wilderness?
60,773 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Four Peaks Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Four Peaks Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Four Peaks Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Four Peaks 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 Four Peaks Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.638° N, 111.363° W. Tonto National Monument is 7 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Four Peaks Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Payson Pits Tnf0401P at 48 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Four Peaks Wilderness?
Tonto National Monument (7 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Four Peaks Wilderness?
The National Register has 13 listings within 15 miles, including Mormon Flat Dam and Horse Mesa Dam.
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.