USFS · Utah

Wellsville Mountain Wilderness

The Wellsville Mountain Wilderness extends along the high, steep north-south ridge and both sides of the Wellsville Mountains for about 14 miles. It is located in Northern Utah southwest of Logan, Utah and encompasses extremely rugged and picturesque terrain. The mountains are one of the narrowest and steepest ranges in the Rockies, averaging only about five miles wide at its base and rising to its tallest summits, the Wellsville Cone at 9,356 feet and Box Elder Peak at 9,372 feet. Canyons cut into the mountains from the east and west. The water that runs out of the Wellsvilles is enough to supply many small Utah communities.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness22,843 acresUSFSUTDesignated 19841 campground within 10 mi5 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Wellsville Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateUtah
Size22,843 acres
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point41.64° N, 112.02° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19)

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 Wellsville Mountain Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.87 inches of precipitation, 12.5 inches of snowFebruary: 1.54 inches of precipitation, 11.7 inches of snowMarch: 1.85 inches of precipitation, 5.9 inches of snowApril: 1.96 inches of precipitation, 2.5 inches of snowMay: 2.20 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJune: 1.12 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.57 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.70 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.24 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.67 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowNovember: 1.38 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowDecember: 1.69 inches of precipitation, 13.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.0°F averageFebruary: 26.2°F averageMarch: 37.5°F averageApril: 45.3°F averageMay: 53.7°F averageJune: 62.6°F averageJuly: 71.0°F averageAugust: 69.5°F averageSeptember: 59.6°F averageOctober: 46.9°F averageNovember: 34.9°F averageDecember: 23.6°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Logan 5 SW Exp Farm, 7 miles from the center point at 4,488 feet, station USC00425194 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 52 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 4,600 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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.

FS · 4 mi
Box Elder Campground
Reservable34 sites

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

5 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 19 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Wellsville Ridge ↗9.9
Cold Water (East Side)3.1
Cold Water (West Side)2.7
Wide Canyon2.3
Brushy Springs1.2

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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historical Park · 24 mi
Golden Spike National Historical Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 85 in all · Register Atlas

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.

  • Hiking from here to Wow: Utah Canyon Country
    Kathy Copeland, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Utah's high Uintas
    Jeffrey Probst, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 100 classic hikes Utah
    Julie K. Trevelyan, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands And Arches National Parks
    Bill Schneider, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City
    Greg Witt, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?

22,843 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Wellsville Mountain Wilderness in?

Utah.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Wellsville Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Wellsville 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 Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.643° N, 112.020° W. Golden Spike National Historical Park is 24 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Which national parks are near Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?

Golden Spike National Historical Park (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?

The National Register has 85 listings within 15 miles, including Fryer Hotel and Jeppson--Reeder House.

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.