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.

"Where there is water, there is life," the saying goes, and Fossil Springs proves it's true every day of the year.

At the bottom of a steep and wide canyon, at the edge of the Colorado Plateau just south of the Mogollon Rim, a group of springs pump water to the surface at the rate of about 20,000 gallons per minute. That endless water supply supports one of the most diverse riparian ecosystems in the state–more than 30 species of trees set among native desert shrub. It also creates a haven for abundant wildlife: elk and deer higher up; javelina, coyote, skunk, ring-tailed cat, fox, and smaller mammals lower down; and more than 100 species of birds.

The canyon of Fossil Springs extends northeast for about 12 miles and splits into Sandrock Canyon and Calf Pen Canyon, as well as several other sheer-walled side canyons. You'll discover an area that has retained much of its natural integrity, a clean and pristine place to visit.

Traces of early Native American civilization may be found here.

The Mail Trail (3.1 miles), once used by horseback mail deliverers, the Fossil Springs Trail (2 miles), and the Flume Road Trail (3.5 miles) provide access to the Wilderness, but few humans ever venture beyond the springs region. You should plan on several days of backpacking to explore the hidden parts of the Wilderness.

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 Fossil Springs 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

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 Fossil Springs Wilderness
FS Topographic Map
Google Earth

Arizona 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: 11,550 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.