Dark Canyon Wilderness
Dark Canyon Wilderness is a 46,360-acre wilderness area in San Juan County, Utah. It rises from about 5,714 to 8,231 ft. The nearest town is Blanding, 16.1 miles away in a straight line.
Dark Canyon Wilderness map
Dark Canyon 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 Moab 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 Moab 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 Moab 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 Moab 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 Moab 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
- Blanding, UT is the nearest town, 16.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Dark Canyon Wilderness is about 8,231 ft, and its lowest about 5,714 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Dark Canyon Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 46,360 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Moab Ranger District, 435-259-7155 |
Getting to Dark Canyon Wilderness
- Blanding, UT is the nearest town, 16.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Dark Canyon Wilderness
- Trail Canyon Trail (0.05 mi outside the boundary, 7,907 ft), at 37.8625, -109.8786
- Trail Canyon Trailhead (0.11 mi outside the boundary, 7,858 ft), at 37.8646, -109.8788 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Big Notch Trailhead (0.19 mi outside the boundary, 8,297 ft), at 37.7464, -109.7622
- Hammond Canyon (0.38 mi outside the boundary, 8,245 ft), at 37.6940, -109.8109
- Peavine Corridor Route Trailhead (0.5 mi outside the boundary, 8,276 ft), at 37.6920, -109.8091
- Horse Pasture Canyon Trail (0.59 mi outside the boundary, 8,600 ft), at 37.8022, -109.7960
- Rig Canyon Trailhead (0.72 mi outside the boundary, 8,124 ft), at 37.7807, -109.9229
- Kigalia Canyon Trail (0.98 mi outside the boundary, 8,373 ft), at 37.6753, -109.8252
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.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Dark Canyon Wilderness
- Cherry Canyon canyon
- Deadman Canyon canyon
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-29.
Public lands next to Dark Canyon Wilderness
- National forestDark Canyon Wilderness lies inside Manti-La Sal National Forest.
- BLM unitDark Canyon Wilderness borders Bears Ears National Monument - Indian Creek Unit.
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=148 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n38w111/USGS_1_n38w111.tif (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n38w110/USGS_1_n38w110.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://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)