BLM · Arizona

Sierra Estrella Wilderness

The Sierra Estrella Wilderness, which includes roughly one-fourth of the Sierra Estrella Mountains, is 15 miles south of the metropolitan Phoenix and east of Rainbow Valley, Arizona. Bordered entirely...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Sierra Estrella Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateArizona
Size14,400 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1990, by Congress
Center point33.2114, -112.2389
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 28)

Boundary map

1 outline

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 Sierra Estrella Wilderness50°60°70°80°90°100°January: 0.82 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.90 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.86 inches of precipitationApril: 0.18 inches of precipitationMay: 0.13 inches of precipitationJune: 0.10 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.97 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.75 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.59 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.74 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.62 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.74 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 54.8°F averageFebruary: 58.2°F averageMarch: 64.5°F averageApril: 71.6°F averageMay: 80.8°F averageJune: 90.2°F averageJuly: 94.4°F averageAugust: 93.3°F averageSeptember: 87.5°F averageOctober: 75.1°F averageNovember: 63.0°F averageDecember: 53.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Laveen 3 SSE, 10 miles from the center point at 1,135 feet, station USC00024829 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 7 inches a year.

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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 8 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Sierra Estrella Wilderness?

14,400 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Sierra Estrella Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Sierra Estrella Wilderness in?

Arizona.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Sierra Estrella Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1990.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Sierra Estrella 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 Sierra Estrella Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 33.211, -112.239. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Sierra Estrella Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 28 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 Sierra Estrella Wilderness?

8 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Laveen School Auditorium and Initial Point of the Gila and Salt River Base Line and Meridian.

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.