BLM · Arizona

North Santa Teresa Wilderness

Just south of and sharing a border with the San Carlos Indian Reservation, North Santa Teresa Wilderness preserves Black Rock, a geologic landmark of special spiritual significance to many Native Americans. Rising nearly 1,000 feet from its base and towering darkly over the desert floor, Black Rock possesses an undeniably mystical aura. Unfortunately, the rock has been abused by vandals in the past, which has made the San Carlos Apaches protective of the area. The remainder of the mile-long rhyolitic plug of which it is a part stands encircled by steep cliffs of several hundred feet. Elevations range from about 3,500 feet to 5,890 feet atop Jackson Mountain, in the southeast portion of the Wilderness.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness5,800 acresBLMAZDesignated 19905 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
North Santa Teresa Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
1 fire
active
Safford Piles Rx (prescribed burn) · 28 mi from the center · 367 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-11-01
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateArizona
Size5,800 acres
Designated1990, by Congress
Center point32.93° N, 110.16° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near North Santa Teresa Wilderness40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 1.01 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.98 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.60 inches of precipitationApril: 0.25 inches of precipitationMay: 0.37 inches of precipitationJune: 0.15 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.74 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.85 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.10 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.73 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.50 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.92 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 44.7°F averageFebruary: 48.9°F averageMarch: 55.5°F averageApril: 62.9°F averageMay: 71.5°F averageJune: 81.2°F averageJuly: 85.3°F averageAugust: 83.2°F averageSeptember: 77.6°F averageOctober: 65.8°F averageNovember: 53.0°F averageDecember: 44.1°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Ft Thomas 2 SW, 12 miles from the center point at 2,835 feet, station USC00023150 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 10 inches a year. The station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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

Campsite Atlas →

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.

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

5 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 27 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Cottonwood Mountain ↗8.8
Black Rock ↗7.7
Gardner Canyon ↗5.5
Fisher Canyon3.3
Fourmile Spring1.5

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

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Safford Piles Rx

    28 mi from the center point · 367 acres

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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 1 in all · Register Atlas

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 North Santa Teresa Wilderness?

5,800 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages North Santa Teresa Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is North Santa Teresa Wilderness in?

Arizona.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was North Santa Teresa Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1990.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to North Santa Teresa Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 32.928° N, 110.165° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near North Santa Teresa Wilderness right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Safford Piles Rx at 28 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there historic places near North Santa Teresa Wilderness?

The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including West Peak Lookout Tower.

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.