Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness is an 11,667-acre wilderness area in Washington County, Utah. It rises from about 3,182 to 5,013 ft. The nearest town is Leeds, 3.1 miles away in a straight line.
Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness map
Cottonwood Canyon 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 the part of this wilderness managed by Outdoor Recreation Planner. 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
- Leeds, UT is the nearest town, 3.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness is about 5,013 ft, and its lowest about 3,182 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 11,667 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Outdoor Recreation Planner, 435-688-3210 |
Getting to Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
- Leeds, UT is the nearest town, 3.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
- Red Reef Trailhead (0.05 mi outside the boundary, 3,213 ft), at 37.2245, -113.4063 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Prospector Trailhead (0.44 mi outside the boundary, 3,081 ft), at 37.2111, -113.4012 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- White Reef Trailhead (0.77 mi outside the boundary, 3,078 ft), at 37.2096, -113.3955
- Candy Cliffs Trailhead (0.8 mi outside the boundary, 4,587 ft), at 37.2348, -113.4771 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Cottonwood Trailhead (0.86 mi outside the boundary, 3,256 ft), at 37.1842, -113.4148
Trailhead locations: BLM recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-29. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
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.
Public lands next to Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
- BLM unitCottonwood Canyon Wilderness lies inside Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.
- Wilderness areaCottonwood Canyon Wilderness borders Cottonwood Forest Wilderness.
- National forestCottonwood Canyon Wilderness borders Dixie National Forest.
- State parkQuail Creek State Park is 1 mile 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=717 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n38w114/USGS_1_n38w114.tif (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://gis.blm.gov/arcgis/rest/services/recreation/BLM_Natl_Recs_pts/MapServer/14 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (accessed 2026-09-29)