About Dark Canyon Wilderness Recreation Area
The United States Congress designated the Dark Canyon Wilderness in 1984 . Great stone arches, old-growth ponderosa pine, aspen groves, meadows, hanging gardens and high country deserts are found at Dark Canyon. The only designated Wilderness in southeastern Utah, the 47,116-acre Dark Canyon Wilderness is located in a beautiful and remote section of the Colorado Plateau. Visitors are dwarfed by steep, sculpted and terraced sandstone walls that shade the canyon in morning and late afternoon -- hence the name. Ancestral Puebloan structures and rock art are tucked among the cliffs. (Please leave these treasures undisturbed for others to experience.) **General Trip Planning Information:** One of the biggest concerns with backpacking on the Colorado Plateau, including the Dark Canyon Wilderness is the lack of water. Always treat water by filtering, boiling or chemical treatment before using…
- Managed by: Manti-La Sal National Forest, FS
- Where: 26 mi northwest of Blanding, UT · 37.82302, -109.92193
Things to do:
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: May–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Canyon | Horse | 0.3 mi | 12.5 mi |
| Trail Canyon | Horse | 0.4 mi | 3.9 mi |
| FR 55131 | ATV road | 1.5 mi | 2.9 mi |
| Dry Mesa | ATV road | 1.8 mi | 20.8 mi |
| Rig Canyon | Horse | 2.4 mi | 3.0 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
No signal at camp
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way casts shadows and the sky is crowded with stars.
Class 1 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Stargazing nearby: Natural Bridges National Monument (Dark Sky Park), 26 mi.