Wild River Wilderness
Wild River Wilderness was designated in December 2006 with the passage of the New England Wilderness Act, making it the newest Wilderness unit on the White Mountain National Forest. Most of this area lies within Bean’s Purchase—an unincorporated township in the northeastern corner of New Hampshire, near the Maine state line. The Wild River Valley offers a striking example of forest resilience in the northeastern United States. At the turn of the nineteenth century, the valley was largely covered in intact forest, with only a small human presence in the lower reaches of the watershed. Within a century, however, large-scale logging operations transformed the landscape.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Size | 24,032 acres |
| Designated | 2006, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.29° N, 71.11° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
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
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.
Trails
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 55 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Highwater ↗ | 9.6 | |
| Wild River Trail ↗ | 9.5 | |
| Baldface Circle Trail ↗ | 8.1 | |
| Shelburne ↗ | 8 | |
| Black Angel ↗ | 7.7 | |
| Moriah Brook ↗ | 4.8 | |
| Basin Trail ↗ | 4.5 | |
| Eagle Link | 2.7 | |
| Blue Brook Connector | 0.2 |
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.
Fire nearby
- WildfireCoffee Pond Fire
38 mi from the center point · 10 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
- 2.4 miBrickett Place ↗Stow, ME
- 3.5 miMeadow Bridge ↗Shelburne, NH
- 3.8 miPhilbrook Farm Inn ↗Shelburne, NH
- 4.1 miNoyes, George Washington, House ↗Gorham, NH
- 5.6 miGilead Railroad Station ↗Gilead, ME
- 6.2 miTip-Top House ↗Sargent's Purchase, NH
- 7.4 miPeabody Tavern ↗Gilead, ME
- 8.9 miFives Court ↗Lovell, ME
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for New Hampshire
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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 Wild River Wilderness?
24,032 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Wild River Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Wild River Wilderness in?
New Hampshire.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Wild River Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2006.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Wild River 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 Wild River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.289° N, 71.114° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Wild River Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Coffee Pond Fire at 38 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Wild River Wilderness?
The National Register has 33 listings within 15 miles, including Brickett Place and Meadow 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.