USFS · Arizona

Wet Beaver Wilderness

Winding on a serpentine course through the rim of the Colorado Plateau, Wet Beaver Creek twists through a steep-walled canyon of Supai sandstone and shale. Beyond lovely red cliffs in the lower section...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Wet Beaver Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateArizona
Size6,178 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point34.6778, -111.6226
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21)

Boundary map

9 outlines

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Wet Beaver Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.97 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.93 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.53 inches of precipitationApril: 1.00 inches of precipitationMay: 0.81 inches of precipitationJune: 0.34 inches of precipitationJuly: 2.55 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.15 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.99 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.48 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.70 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.60 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 29.7°F averageFebruary: 31.3°F averageMarch: 36.8°F averageApril: 42.5°F averageMay: 50.3°F averageJune: 59.3°F averageJuly: 64.9°F averageAugust: 63.2°F averageSeptember: 57.1°F averageOctober: 47.2°F averageNovember: 37.4°F averageDecember: 29.8°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Happy Jack RS, 13 miles from the center point at 7,480 feet, station USC00023828 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 24 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 sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 18 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Apache Maid8.7
Bell7.7
White Mesa1.2
Weir0.5

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.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-18
  • Prescribed
    Ponderosa Trails Pile Rx

    33 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    D2 Vincent Rx

    41 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    D2 Dye Rx

    43 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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 13 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Wet Beaver Wilderness?

6,178 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Wet Beaver Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Wet Beaver Wilderness in?

Arizona.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Wet Beaver Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Wet Beaver Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Apache Maid Cabin, 1.6 miles out. 1 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 Wet Beaver Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.678, -111.623. Montezuma Castle National Monument is 8 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Wet Beaver Wilderness right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Ponderosa Trails Pile Rx at 33 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Wet Beaver Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 21 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 Wet Beaver Wilderness?

Montezuma Castle National Monument (8 mi) and Tuzigoot National Monument (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Wet Beaver Wilderness?

13 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Beaver Creek School and Buck Mountain 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.