Needle's Eye Wilderness
The Mescal Mountains cut across the middle of this Wilderness, their southwestern flank forming a spectacular striped slope of Paleozoic limestone that looms more than 2,500 feet high. The Gila River flows through this country and forms the Wilderness's southern border. The river threads through a marvelous section of steep-walled canyon so narrow it's earned the name Needle's Eye. Several small slickrock side canyons wind down to the Gila, bisecting the area. The narrow river channel lies tangled in dense riparian growth, often making travel difficult.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 8,760 acres |
| Designated | 1990, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.15° N, 110.62° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 9.2 miWinkelman Bridge ↗Winkelman, AZ
- 14.6 miEleven Arches, The ↗Tucson, 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 Needle's Eye Wilderness?
8,760 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Needle's Eye Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Needle's Eye Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Needle's Eye Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1990.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Needle's Eye Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.147° N, 110.621° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Needle's Eye Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Winkelman Bridge and Eleven Arches, The.
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.