BLM · Arizona

Upper Burro Creek Wilderness

Upper Burro Creek is one of the few perennial streams to flow undammed into the lower desert of Arizona. Thirteen miles of the creek pass through this Wilderness, which is divided into eastern and western sections by a dirt road. Here, Burro Creek runs deep through incised bedrock, falling about 1,500 feet in one half-mile stretch. Small waterfalls connect clear pools in which you can take the plunge for a magnificently refreshing desert swim. In some places, the creek has backed up into long marshy pools ringed with young trees and thirsty vegetation. Away from the creek the Wilderness preserves rough side canyons and basalt mesas with vertical rock faces, raggedy spires, and desert grassland on their sloping upland surfaces.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Upper Burro Creek Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateArizona
Size27,440 acres
Designated1990, by Congress
Center point34.68° N, 113.30° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Upper Burro Creek Wilderness40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 2.14 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowFebruary: 2.32 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowMarch: 1.74 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowApril: 0.60 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMay: 0.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.25 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.33 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.89 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 1.03 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowDecember: 1.64 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 43.7°F averageFebruary: 45.3°F averageMarch: 50.5°F averageApril: 56.5°F averageMay: 65.1°F averageJune: 74.6°F averageJuly: 80.2°F averageAugust: 79.0°F averageSeptember: 73.0°F averageOctober: 62.2°F averageNovember: 51.1°F averageDecember: 43.1°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Bagdad, 9 miles from the center point at 3,935 feet, station USC00020586 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 1 inch a year on the same inches scale.

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

Campsite Atlas →

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.

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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 Upper Burro Creek Wilderness?

27,440 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Upper Burro Creek Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Upper Burro Creek Wilderness in?

Arizona.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Upper Burro Creek Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1990.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Upper Burro Creek 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 Upper Burro Creek Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.685° N, 113.302° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

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.