Pine Mountain Wilderness
At 6,814 feet, Pine Mountain is the highest point on the Verde River Rim, which slashes across this area from northeast to southwest. On the mountain's southeastern side, the unmistakable steep and rocky Skeleton Ridge falls toward the Verde River, a National Wild & Scenic River. On the rim you'll find an "island" of tall ponderosa pine and Douglas fir surrounded by desert mountains and hot dry mesas covered in pinion and juniper, cut by rugged canyons. The rim overlooks the Verde River with fine views out across the desert. Despite scant water, wildlife abounds here on forested slopes and in the canyons, especially game animals.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 20,053 acres |
| Designated | 1972, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.28° N, 111.81° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20) |
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.
Trails
8 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 26 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson ↗ | 8.7 | |
| Verde Rim ↗ | 6.1 | |
| Pine Flat | 3.4 | |
| Short Cut | 2 | |
| Double T | 1.9 | |
| Willow Springs | 1.5 | |
| Pine Mountain | 1.2 | |
| Buck Basin | 0.7 |
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
- PrescribedBrie Slash Piles Rx
33 mi from the center point · 700 acres
- PrescribedMccarty Piles Rx
35 mi from the center point · 832 acres
- PrescribedRx Payson Pits Tnf0401P
39 mi from the center point
- PrescribedFrog Tank 2 Piles Rx
48 mi from the center point · 1,989 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
- 6.5 miCopper Creek Guard Station ↗Black Canyon City, AZ
- 7.4 miSycamore Ranger Station ↗Camp Verde, AZ
- 9 miFossil Creek Bridge ↗Strawberry, AZ
- 12.8 miVerde River Sheep Bridge ↗Carefree, AZ
- 13.9 miClear Creek Church ↗Camp Verde, AZ
- 14.3 miStrawberry School ↗Strawberry, AZ
- 14.6 miWingfield, Hank and Myrtle, Homestead ↗Camp Verde, 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 Pine Mountain Wilderness?
20,053 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Pine Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Pine Mountain Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Pine Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1972.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Pine Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.285° N, 111.806° W. Montezuma Castle National Monument is 20 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Pine Mountain Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Brie Slash Piles Rx at 33 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Pine Mountain Wilderness?
Montezuma Castle National Monument (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Pine Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 7 listings within 15 miles, including Copper Creek Guard Station and Sycamore Ranger Station.
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.