Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness is a 16,343-acre wilderness area in Emery County, Utah. It rises from about 4,457 to 5,530 ft. The nearest town is Hanksville, 9.4 miles away in a straight line.
Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness map
Middle 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, 9.4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness is about 5,530 ft, and its lowest about 4,457 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 16,343 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record |
Getting to Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Hanksville, UT is the nearest town, 9.4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Ding and Dang Canyons (0.48 mi outside the boundary, 4,883 ft), at 38.5767, -110.8229
- Lower Chute Canyon Trailhead (0.72 mi outside the boundary, 4,757 ft), at 38.5758, -110.7514 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Little Wild Horse Recreation Site (0.83 mi outside the boundary, 4,953 ft), at 38.5827, -110.8028
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.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Little Wild Horse 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 Middle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness
- Wilderness areaMiddle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness borders Big Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness.
- Wilderness areaMiddle Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness borders Muddy Creek Wilderness.
- State parkGoblin Valley State Park is 1.5 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
- Wilderness areaHorse Valley Wilderness is 2.4 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
- Wilderness areaLittle Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness is 2.4 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=798 (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://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)