Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
This sprawling Arizona Wilderness encompasses all of Sycamore Canyon, from its pine- and fir-forested rim on the Colorado Plateau down through the Mogollon Rim to its desert mouth in the Verde Valley....
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 58,448 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1972, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.9808, -112.0226 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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. 5 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 10 miSycamore Canyon Wilderness ↗Day hiking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
19 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 94 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Basin ↗ | 18.2 | |
| Sycamore Rim ↗ | 11.3 | |
| Yew Thicket ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Casner Mountain ↗ | 6.9 | |
| Winter Cabin ↗ | 5.7 | |
| Kelsey ↗ | 5.6 | |
| Dogie ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Packard ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Henderson | 4.4 | |
| Deadman Pocket | 3.7 |
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedPonderosa Trails Pile Rx
23 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 4.4 miPerkinsville Bridge ↗Ash Fork, AZ
- 6.1 miBroadway Bridge ↗Clarkdale, AZ
- 6.3 miClark Memorial Clubhouse ↗Clarkdale, AZ
- 6.4 miTuzigoot Museum ↗Clarkdale, AZ
- 6.9 miSummit Mountain Lookout Tree ↗Williams, AZ
- 7 miVolunteer Lookout Cabin ↗Bellemont, AZ
- 7.8 miWillard House ↗Cottonwood, AZ
- 7.9 miEdens House ↗Cottonwood, AZ
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
58,448 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Sycamore Canyon Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Sycamore Canyon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1972.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is White Horse Lake Campground, 0.9 miles out. 5 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
Where are the trailheads in Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 day hiking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.981, -112.023. Tuzigoot National Monument is 6 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Sycamore Canyon Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Ponderosa Trails Pile Rx at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Sycamore Canyon 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 Sycamore Canyon Wilderness?
Tuzigoot National Monument (6 mi), Montezuma Castle National Monument (20 mi) and Walnut Canyon National Monument (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
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.