West Clear Creek Wilderness
Despite the fact that the Wilderness is only one-half mile to two miles wide, the canyon offers wonderful opportunities for solitude. As for beauty, serenity, and complexity, the hiking is rarely exceeded in Arizona. Wild, primitive, and trailless, the canyon bottom is narrow and filled with water in places, requiring you to swim or wade if you hike the entire length... a challenge to be avoided during storms. A fairly easy trail starts at Bull Pen Ranch, follows the creek six miles, and climbs up the northern slope to the rim. This route is especially popular with anglers, who fish Clear Creek for German brown and rainbow trout.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 15,465 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.55° N, 111.63° 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 5 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 dispersed camping. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 5 miBull Pen Day Use Area & Trailhead ↗Dispersed camping · Year-round
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 9 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| West Clear Creek ↗ | 7 | |
| Maxwell | 0.7 | |
| Tramway | 0.5 | |
| Calloway | 0.4 |
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
- PrescribedBrie Slash Piles Rx
18 mi from the center point · 700 acres
- PrescribedMccarty Piles Rx
21 mi from the center point · 832 acres
- PrescribedFrog Tank 2 Piles Rx
29 mi from the center point · 1,989 acres
- PrescribedNewman 2 Piles Rx
32 mi from the center point · 723 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
- 5.9 miBuck Mountain Lookout Tower ↗Buck Mountain, AZ
- 6.4 miClear Creek Church ↗Camp Verde, AZ
- 7.1 miWingfield, Hank and Myrtle, Homestead ↗Camp Verde, AZ
- 8.1 miCamp Verde Grammar School ↗Camp Verde, AZ
- 8.7 miBeaver Creek School ↗Rimrock, AZ
- 8.9 miFossil Creek Bridge ↗Strawberry, AZ
- 8.9 mi
- 9.1 miRandall, Alfred Jason, House ↗Pine, 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 West Clear Creek Wilderness?
15,465 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages West Clear Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is West Clear Creek Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was West Clear Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at West Clear 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 West Clear Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.549° N, 111.627° W. Montezuma Castle National Monument is 8 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near West Clear Creek Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Brie Slash Piles Rx at 18 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near West Clear Creek Wilderness?
Montezuma Castle National Monument (8 mi) and Tuzigoot National Monument (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near West Clear Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 12 listings within 15 miles, including Buck Mountain Lookout Tower and Clear Creek Church.
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.