Cottonwood Forest Wilderness
Zion National Park's world-famous landscape of soaring cliff walls, forested plateaus, and deep, narrow gorges extends well beyond the boundaries of the park onto surrounding BLM and FS lands including...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 2,648 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.2436, -113.4075 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 31) |
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 9 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
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Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 3 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Rim Trail | 3.2 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.8 miWells Fargo and Company Express Building ↗Silver Reef, UT
- 1.2 miLeeds Ccc Camp Historic District ↗Leeds, UT
- 1.3 miLeeds Tithing Office ↗Leeds, UT
- 4.7 miNaegle Winery ↗Toquerville, UT
- 5.3 miSteele, John, House ↗Toquerville, UT
- 5.4 miForsyth, Thomas, House ↗Toquerville, UT
- 5.4 miToquerville Hall ↗Toquerville, UT
- 6.7 miLa Verkin Hydroelectric Power Plant ↗La Verkin, UT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
2,648 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Cottonwood Forest Wilderness in?
Utah.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Cottonwood Forest Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Red Cliffs Campground, 0.5 miles out. 9 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.244, -113.407. Zion National Park is 20 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 31 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 Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
Zion National Park (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Cottonwood Forest Wilderness?
40 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Wells Fargo and Company Express Building and Leeds Ccc Camp Historic District.
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.