Santa Teresa Wilderness
Looking for an extraordinary desert mountain Wilderness experience? Then head to the Santa Teresa Mountains, but be forewarned: the going's not easy. Between Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness and the San Carlos...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 26,912 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 32.9022, -110.2329 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
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
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 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.
Trails
7 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 37 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Mountain ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Black Rock ↗ | 7.7 | |
| Holdout ↗ | 6.9 | |
| Gardner Canyon ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Black Canyon | 3.7 | |
| Fisher Canyon | 3.3 | |
| Fourmile Spring | 1.5 |
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
- 11.8 miWest Peak Lookout Tower ↗Bonita, AZ
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Santa Teresa Wilderness?
26,912 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Santa Teresa Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Santa Teresa Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Santa Teresa Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Santa Teresa 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 Santa Teresa Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 32.902, -110.233. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Santa Teresa Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 24 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Santa Teresa Wilderness?
1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including West Peak Lookout Tower.
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.