USFWS · Arkansas

Big Lake Wilderness

Twenty miles west of the Mississippi River, the Big Lake Wilderness serves primarily as a migration habitat for ducks and geese using the Mississippi Flyway. The Wilderness lies flat, approximately 240...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Big Lake Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateArkansas
Size2,143 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1976, by Congress
Center point35.9338, -90.1161
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20)

Boundary map

6 outlines

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Big Lake Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 3.85 inches of precipitation, 0.8 inches of snowFebruary: 4.13 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowMarch: 4.81 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowApril: 5.40 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 5.90 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 3.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.00 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.55 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 4.07 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 4.28 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowDecember: 5.07 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.5°F averageFebruary: 42.0°F averageMarch: 50.6°F averageApril: 61.0°F averageMay: 70.5°F averageJune: 78.8°F averageJuly: 81.3°F averageAugust: 79.9°F averageSeptember: 73.4°F averageOctober: 62.2°F averageNovember: 50.2°F averageDecember: 41.2°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Blytheville, 12 miles from the center point at 252 feet, station USC00030806 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 52 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 3 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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

Campsite Atlas →

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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Big Lake Wilderness?

2,143 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Big Lake Wilderness?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Big Lake Wilderness in?

Arkansas.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Big Lake Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1976.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Big Lake Wilderness?

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to Big Lake Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 35.934, -90.116. Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Big Lake Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 20 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Big Lake Wilderness?

Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Big Lake Wilderness?

16 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Widner--Magers Farm Historic District and Jonesboro, Lake City & Eastern Railroad Depot.

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.
  • 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.