Cottonwood Forest Wilderness
Cottonwood Forest Wilderness is a 2,648-acre wilderness area in Washington County, Utah. It rises from about 3,230 to 5,163 ft. The nearest town is Leeds, 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
Cottonwood Forest Wilderness map
Cottonwood Forest Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
5 fire restriction orders are recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Each links the signed order.
- Forest Service (USFS) - Manti-La Sal NF, Ferron RD (Black Canyon Rd) (Closure) Effective Sept. 11, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by Pine Valley Ranger District. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- Forest Service (USFS) - Babylon Fire Closure - Manti-La Sal NF (Monticello RD) Effective July 17, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by Pine Valley Ranger District. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- Forest Service (USFS) - Cottonwood Fire Closure Effective July 4, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by Pine Valley Ranger District. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- Forest Service (USFS) - Wild Goose Fire Closure Effective June 27, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by Pine Valley Ranger District. Listed as Active on Utah Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- Forest Service (USFS) - Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF (Ogden RD: Weber Co Wasatch Foothills) (Special Order) Effective June 1, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by Pine Valley Ranger District. 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
- The maximum group size at Cottonwood Forest Wilderness is 25.
- Leeds, UT is the nearest town, 2.2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Cottonwood Forest Wilderness is about 5,163 ft, and its lowest about 3,230 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Cottonwood Forest Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 2,648 | Not on record | 25 | Not on record | Pine Valley Ranger District, 435-688-3246 |
Getting to Cottonwood Forest Wilderness
- Leeds, UT is the nearest town, 2.2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Cottonwood Forest Wilderness
- Red Reef Trailhead (0.32 mi outside the boundary, 3,213 ft), at 37.2245, -113.4063 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Silver Rim Trailhead (0.88 mi outside the boundary, 4,152 ft), at 37.2667, -113.3730
Trailhead locations: Forest Service 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 Forest Wilderness
- National forestCottonwood Forest Wilderness lies inside Dixie National Forest.
- Wilderness areaCottonwood Forest Wilderness borders Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness.
- BLM unitCottonwood Forest Wilderness borders Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.
- State parkQuail Creek State Park is 1.8 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=718 (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://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_InfraRecreationSites_01/MapServer/0 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (accessed 2026-09-29)