Saddle Mountain Wilderness
Straddling the eastern edge of the Kaibab Plateau the Saddle Mountain Wilderness is a rugged land of narrow drainage bottoms and steep scarps (a line of cliffs produced by faulting or erosion). The gentle slopes on the main ridge of the area drop dramatically to form the Nankoweap Rim on the south. Elevations range from about 6,000 feet on Marble Canyon Rim to 8,000 feet on Saddle Mountain itself, a prominent ridge with a profile that resembles a saddle, horn and all. Utah juniper and pinion pine in the lowlands give way to mixed conifers in the highlands. In 1960, a raging fire destroyed approximately 8,000 acres of trees, but the vegetation in the area has rebounded.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 41,143 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.42° N, 112.06° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
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 2 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.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 96 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Trail ↗ | 75.1 | |
| North Canyon ↗ | 8.1 | |
| Nankoweap ↗ | 5.3 | |
| South Canyon ↗ | 5.2 | |
| East Rim | 1.5 | |
| Triple Alcove | 0.5 |
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
- PrescribedCy26 Nkrd- Misc Piles Rx
5 mi from the center point · 2 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
- 1 miTater Point Lookout Tree ↗Fredonia, AZ
- 3.2 miTipover Lookout Tree ↗Fredonia, AZ
- 3.6 miKane Ranch Headquarters ↗House Rock Valley, AZ
- 5 miTelephone Hill Lookout Tree ↗Fredonia, AZ
- 8.3 miDry Park Lookout Cabin and Storage Sheds ↗Big Springs, AZ
- 11.2 miCorral Lake Lookout Tree ↗Fredonia, AZ
- 13.6 miFracas Lookout Tree ↗Fredonia, AZ
- 13.6 miJacob Lake Lookout Tower ↗Jacob Lake, AZ
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 Saddle Mountain Wilderness?
41,143 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Saddle Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Saddle Mountain Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Saddle Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Saddle Mountain 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 Saddle Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.416° N, 112.056° W. Grand Canyon National Park is 22 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Saddle Mountain Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Cy26 Nkrd- Misc Piles Rx at 5 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Saddle Mountain Wilderness?
Grand Canyon National Park (22 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Saddle Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 10 listings within 15 miles, including Tater Point Lookout Tree and Tipover Lookout Tree.
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.