Red Butte Wilderness
Within Red Mountain Wilderness, there are soaring cliff walls, forested plateaus, and deep, narrow gorges. Elevations roughly range from 3,300 to 5,400 feet. On the highest plateaus, islands of ponderosa pine forest are surrounded by cream-colored slickrock. Seeps in the canyon walls provide water for bouquets of maidenhair fern, scarlet monkeyflower, and columbine. Clear mountain streams descend from the juniper-dotted uplands into a network of canyons. Hawks, falcons, and eagles nest along the sandstone walls, while ringtailed cats, deer, cougar, and bear live in the canyon bottoms. Water is everything here.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 1,535 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.36° N, 113.15° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23) |
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 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBumblebee South Rx
10 mi from the center point
- PrescribedMiners Peak Rx
15 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHarmony Ranch Community Rx
15 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHarmony Mountain Rx
15 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
- 8.4 miFort Harmony Site ↗New Harmony, UT
- 9.2 miToquerville Hall ↗Toquerville, UT
- 9.2 miSteele, John, House ↗Toquerville, UT
- 9.4 miForsyth, Thomas, House ↗Toquerville, UT
- 9.8 miJepson, James, Jr., House ↗Virgin, UT
- 10 miNaegle Winery ↗Toquerville, UT
- 11.1 miGateway to the Narrows Trail ↗Springdale, UT
- 12 miGrotto Trail ↗Springdale, UT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Utah
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 Red Butte Wilderness?
1,535 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Red Butte Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Red Butte Wilderness in?
Utah.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Red Butte Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Red Butte 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 Red Butte Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.358° N, 113.151° W. Zion National Park is 7 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Red Butte Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Bumblebee South Rx at 10 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Red Butte Wilderness?
Zion National Park (7 mi) and Cedar Breaks National Monument (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Red Butte Wilderness?
The National Register has 41 listings within 15 miles, including Fort Harmony Site and Toquerville Hall.
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.