Strawberry Crater Wilderness
Part of the huge San Francisco volcanic field, Strawberry Crater is one of its roughly 600 craters and cones, all 50,000 to 100,000 years old. The crater once sent lava flowing across the northwestern corner of this Wilderness, and low cinder cones dominate the southern end. Here are gently rolling hills covered in pinion and juniper, cinder-strewn terrain ranging in elevation from 5,500 feet to 6,000 feet. From the tops of many of the cinder cones you can see the Painted Desert, Hopi Buttes, and mesas of the valley of the Little Colorado River. Game animals and smaller mammals may be seen throughout the area. At dawn and dusk the area's fascinating geology and twisted junipers offer excellent subjects for photographers.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 10,414 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.43° N, 111.43° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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 4 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.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miStrawberry Crater Wilderness ↗Day hiking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 1 mile in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberry | 1.1 |
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
- PrescribedDry Lake Hills Piles Rx
15 mi from the center point · 902 acres
- PrescribedFreidland-Chimney Piles Rx
17 mi from the center point · 1,029 acres
- PrescribedKendrick Park Piles Rx
18 mi from the center point · 17 acres
- PrescribedA1 4 Piles Rx
23 mi from the center point · 260 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
- 11.7 miWalnut Canyon Bridge ↗Winona, AZ
- 14.3 miEldredge, Dean, Museum ↗Flagstaff, AZ
- 14.7 miOld Headquarters ↗Flagstaff, AZ
- 14.9 miWalnut Canyon Dam ↗Flagstaff, 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 Strawberry Crater Wilderness?
10,414 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Strawberry Crater Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Strawberry Crater Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Strawberry Crater Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Strawberry Crater 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 Strawberry Crater Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.430° N, 111.431° W. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is 4 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Strawberry Crater Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Dry Lake Hills Piles Rx at 15 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Strawberry Crater Wilderness?
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (4 mi), Wupatki National Monument (6 mi) and Walnut Canyon National Monument (15 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Strawberry Crater Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Walnut Canyon Bridge and Eldredge, Dean, Museum.
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.