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Within Red Mountain Wilderness, it is easy to see that Zion National Park's world-famous landscape of soaring cliff walls, forested plateaus, and deep, narrow gorges extends well beyond the boundaries of the park onto surrounding BLM and USFS lands. In this area, clear mountain streams descend from the juniper-dotted uplands into a network of canyons. On the highest plateaus, islands of ponderosa pine forest are surrounded by cream-colored slickrock. Seeps in the canyon walls provide water for bouquets of maidenhair fern, scarlet monkeyflower, and columbine. Hawks, falcons, and eagles nest along the sandstone walls, while ringtailed cats, deer, cougar, and bear live in the canyon bottoms. Elevations roughly range from 3,300 to 5,400 feet in this wilderness.
Water is everything here. It is the architect of natural stone temples and slot canyons; it is life to the area's many plants and animals, sustenance to the nearby human population. Yet it is a capricious provider -- sometimes coming not at all for months, sometimes swelling the canyons with floodwater. Red Mountain Wilderness receives between 10 and 14 inches of precipitation each year. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit with temperatures in excess of 90 at higher elevations and day and night temperatures differing by over 30 degrees. Winters are cold and often wet with temperatures ranging from highs of 50 to 60 degrees during the day to lows well below freezing at night.
Red Butte Wilderness contains many challenging and delightful canyon hikes. Consequently, the area receives heavy recreational use. Hikers and backpackers enjoy panoramic vistas of the spires and mesas of Zion National Park to the east, the Virgin River Gorge to the south, and the high peaks of the Beaver Dam Mountains on the west. Equestrians find many opportunities for trail riding in the Red Mountain Wilderness, with some trails leading to spectacular overlooks into Snow Canyon, where black basalt flows overlie the red and white Navajo sandstone, creating a dramatic visual contrast. There are 10 miles of maintained trails in the Wilderness.
Maps
Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.
Online Maps
Printed Maps
Management & Regulations
Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas.
This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.
Wilderness-Specific Regulations
Learn more about
why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.
Applicable Wilderness Law(s)
Date: March 30, 2009
Acreage: 18,729 acres
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 - Public law 111-11 (3/30/2009) An act to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 111-11 or special provisions for 111-11 or legislative history for 111-11 for this law.
Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?
Citizens who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities.