Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
This sprawling Arizona Wilderness encompasses all of Sycamore Canyon, from its pine- and fir-forested rim on the Colorado Plateau down through the Mogollon Rim to its desert mouth in the Verde Valley. The canyon winds for over 20 miles along Sycamore Creek, at places stretching seven miles from rim to rim. Carved walls reveal layers of lovely red sandstone, spectacular white limestone, and rugged brown lava. Pinnacles tower above the high, colorful cliffs, and the water of the creek allows a rich habitat to flourish, including sycamores, walnuts, and cottonwoods. It is one of Arizona's most dramatic and beautiful canyons.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 58,448 acres |
| Designated | 1972, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.98° N, 112.02° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20) |
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.
- 10 miSycamore Canyon Wilderness ↗Day hiking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
19 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 94 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Basin ↗ | 18.2 | |
| Sycamore Rim ↗ | 11.3 | |
| Yew Thicket ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Casner Mountain ↗ | 6.9 | |
| Winter Cabin ↗ | 5.7 | |
| Kelsey ↗ | 5.6 | |
| Dogie ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Packard ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Henderson | 4.4 | |
| Deadman Pocket | 3.7 |
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
- PrescribedNewman 2 Piles Rx
21 mi from the center point · 723 acres
- PrescribedFrog Tank 2 Piles Rx
21 mi from the center point · 1,989 acres
- PrescribedCy26 Wrd-Northside Piles Rx
22 mi from the center point · 165 acres
- PrescribedWalker Hill 2 Piles Rx
22 mi from the center point · 356 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
- 4.4 miPerkinsville Bridge ↗Ash Fork, AZ
- 6.1 miBroadway Bridge ↗Clarkdale, AZ
- 6.3 miClark Memorial Clubhouse ↗Clarkdale, AZ
- 6.4 miTuzigoot Museum ↗Clarkdale, AZ
- 6.9 miSummit Mountain Lookout Tree ↗Williams, AZ
- 7 miVolunteer Lookout Cabin ↗Bellemont, AZ
- 7.8 miWillard House ↗Cottonwood, AZ
- 7.9 miEdens House ↗Cottonwood, 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 Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
58,448 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Sycamore Canyon Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Sycamore Canyon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1972.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Sycamore Canyon 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 Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.981° N, 112.023° W. Tuzigoot National Monument is 6 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Sycamore Canyon Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Newman 2 Piles Rx at 21 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
Tuzigoot National Monument (6 mi), Montezuma Castle National Monument (20 mi) and Walnut Canyon National Monument (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
The National Register has 33 listings within 15 miles, including Perkinsville Bridge and Broadway Bridge.
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.