Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
The Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness is part of the San Rafael Swell, which features magnificent badlands of brightly colored and wildly eroded sandstone formations, deep canyons, and giant plates of stone tilted upright through massive geologic upheaval. This landscape reveals a geological history laid bare through millennia of upheaval and erosion. The geologic history of the San Rafael Swell area began 40 to 60 million years ago when a massive uplift formed a geologic antic line. This bulge in the earth’s crust eventually eroded to leave high mesas, deep canyons, domes, spectacular arches, and spires. The terrain varies from the sheer cliffs and dazzling canyons to more gently carved badlands broken by shallow washes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 16,343 acres |
| Designated | 2019, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.53° N, 110.83° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 35) |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 9.4 miHanksville Meetinghouse--School ↗Hanksville, UT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Utah
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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 Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?
16,343 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness in?
Utah.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2019.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Middle Wild Horse Mesa 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 Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.529° N, 110.828° W. Capitol Reef National Park is 23 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?
Capitol Reef National Park (23 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness?
The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including Hanksville Meetinghouse--School.
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.
- 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.