Wet Beaver Wilderness
Winding on a serpentine course through the rim of the Colorado Plateau, Wet Beaver Creek twists through a steep-walled canyon of Supai sandstone and shale. Beyond lovely red cliffs in the lower section, the canyon widens and opens onto the Verde River. It originates about 12 miles east of the Beaver Creek Ranger Station at an elevation of about 6,200 feet and enters the Verde near 3,000 feet. Here, you'll find pristine riparian habitat dominated by cottonwoods, sycamores, and alders. Wet Beaver Creek is one of Arizona's finest and rarest natural resources: a perennially flowing desert stream. The year-round waters attract large numbers of wildlife: elk and deer, bears and lions, smaller mammals, reptiles, and birds.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 6,178 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.68° N, 111.62° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 18 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Maid ↗ | 8.7 | |
| Bell ↗ | 7.7 | |
| White Mesa | 1.2 | |
| Weir | 0.5 |
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
- PrescribedFrog Tank 2 Piles Rx
20 mi from the center point · 1,989 acres
- PrescribedBrie Slash Piles Rx
20 mi from the center point · 700 acres
- PrescribedNewman 2 Piles Rx
23 mi from the center point · 723 acres
- PrescribedNewman 3 Piles Rx
23 mi from the center point · 756 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
- 4.7 miBeaver Creek School ↗Rimrock, AZ
- 5.1 miBuck Mountain Lookout Tower ↗Buck Mountain, AZ
- 9.5 miLee Butte Lookout Tower and Cabin ↗Happy Jack, AZ
- 11.1 miChapel of the Holy Cross ↗Sedona, AZ
- 11.9 miSchuerman Homestead House ↗Sedona, AZ
- 12.2 miCross Creek Ranch House ↗Sedona, AZ
- 12.5 miCamp Verde Grammar School ↗Camp Verde, AZ
- 12.6 miHart Store ↗Sedona, 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 Wet Beaver Wilderness?
6,178 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Wet Beaver Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Wet Beaver Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Wet Beaver Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Wet Beaver Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.678° N, 111.623° 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 Wet Beaver Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Frog Tank 2 Piles Rx at 20 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Wet Beaver Wilderness?
Montezuma Castle National Monument (8 mi) and Tuzigoot National Monument (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Wet Beaver Wilderness?
The National Register has 13 listings within 15 miles, including Beaver Creek School and Buck Mountain Lookout Tower.
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.