Visit Wilderness

Search for a wilderness as the destination for your next outdoor adventure.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Minnesota

Why Visit Wilderness?

While wilderness can be appreciated from afar—through online content, television, or books—nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. Activities like camping, hiking, or hunting allow you to fully enjoy the recreational, ecological, spiritual, and health benefits that wilderness areas offer. These areas provide “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation,” chances to observe wildlife, moments to renew and refresh, and the physical benefits of outdoor exercise. In many wilderness areas, you can even bring your well-behaved dog.

Learn more about the diverse ways in which we benefit from wilderness and threats wilderness areas face today.

The jagged mountains and gently sloping alluvial plain of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness straddle the Arizona-Utah border. Management of the Wilderness is shared by the BLM in both states. It is further divided into northeastern and southwestern units by Cedar Pockets Road, which is not in wilderness. Elevations in the Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness range from about 2,000 to 5,000 feet.

Joshua trees, desert shrubs, and scattered grasses are the primary vegetation. Several rare plant species have also been identified here. Notable wildlife includes desert bighorn sheep, the endangered desert tortoise, and large numbers of raptors. The woundfin minnow and Virgin River chub (endangered species) live in the Virgin River, which flows through the eastern section of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness for approximately 6 miles.

River rafters and kayakers have been increasingly attracted to the Virgin River, but water levels can be too low for this form of travel in the fall and winter. Spring runoff and summer thunderstorms can create whitewater rafting and kayaking experiences in this area. Most precipitation comes in concentrated storms that are infrequent and total rainfall averages around 9 inches per year.

Winters are mild with temperatures ranging from lows around 20 degrees Fahrenheit to highs around 65. Summer highs are commonly over 100 degrees with lows closer to 85.

Backpacking in the Wilderness has seen a substantial increase in recent years. That being said, there are no trails, so hone your cross-country skills before heading out.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

The Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness is easily accessed off of Interstate 15, from the Cedar Pockets gravel road between Interstate 15 and old Highway 91 (north of Beaver Dam, Arizona) or from Sun River, Utah (St. George area). The closest visitor center/Bureau of Land Management office is located in St. George, Utah off the Bluff Street Exit of Interstate 15 at 345 East Riverside Drive(open Monday-Friday 7:45 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am - 3 pm and closed Sunday). Regional travel information can also be obtained from the Nevada Visitor Center in Mesquite, Nevada. There are no trailheads or trails in this wilderness.

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness
Google Earth

Arizona Wildernesses
Utah Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 98-406

Date: August 28, 1984
Acreage: 19,600 acres

Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 - Public Law 98-406 (8/28/1984) Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984

For more information (To download or see all affected wilderness areas) visit our law library for 98-406 or special provisions for 98-406 or legislative history for 98-406.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

People who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Groups are listed alphabetically by the state(s) in which the wilderness is located.