Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness is an 18,192-acre wilderness area in Emery County, Utah. It rises from about 4,550 to 5,551 ft. The nearest town is Hanksville, 8.8 miles away in a straight line.
Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness map
Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
3 fire restriction orders are recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Each links the signed order.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - West Desert District (Stage 1) Effective Sept. 5, 2026. Applies to land covered by this Utah Fire Info order. Stage 1. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Cottonwood Fire Closure Effective June 26, 2026. Applies to all BLM land in Utah. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Statewide (Prevention Order) Effective June 17, 2025. Applies to all BLM land in Utah. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
Utah Fire Info, Utah DNR's interagency fire information hub, keeps the Utah fire restrictions map and signed orders for every fire zone, and a Utah fire map of active fires.
Common questions
- Hanksville, UT is the nearest town, 8.8 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness is about 5,551 ft, and its lowest about 4,550 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Mollys Castle, about 5,250 ft.
Who manages Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 18,192 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record |
Getting to Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Hanksville, UT is the nearest town, 8.8 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Carmel Canyon Trailhead (0.5 mi outside the boundary, 4,963 ft), at 38.5653, -110.7027 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Lower Chute Canyon Trailhead Parking - Day-Use Only (0.58 mi outside the boundary, 4,756 ft), at 38.5755, -110.7513 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Three Sisters Trailhead (0.58 mi outside the boundary, 4,920 ft), at 38.5669, -110.7041 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Wild Horse MTB Trailhead (0.96 mi outside the boundary, 5,052 ft), at 38.5698, -110.7117 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-29. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-ut.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Mollys Castle summit
- Big Wild Horse Mesa summit
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-29. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- State parkBig Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness borders Goblin Valley State Park.
- Wilderness areaBig Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness borders Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness.
- Wilderness areaMuddy Creek Wilderness is 0.7 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Utah
- https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=787 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n39w111/USGS_1_n39w111.tif (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/GeographicNames/DomesticNames/DomesticNames_UT_Text.zip (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/2025_gaz_place_49.txt (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (accessed 2026-09-29)