Featuring gently sloping alluvial plains and jagged mountains, Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness is a 27.5 square mile wilderness that straddles the Arizona-Utah border. This Bureau of Land Management wilderness area consists of elevations that range from 2,000 feet to 5,000 feet, which are beautifully decorated by resplendent flora and some threatened wildlife species. The ease of access to this BLM park from Utah and Arizona makes it an established destination for campers seeking solitude, outdoor recreation and nature’s beauty.
No developed facilities or services are provided within the wilderness, so only primitive camping opportunities are available to visitors. Additional backcountry experiences are available nearby at Mt. Trumbull Wilderness and Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness. Modern camping options are available at Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.
Primitive recreation is popular here. Some of the outdoor opportunities include hiking and backpacking; whitewater rafting and kayaking; wildlife and flora viewing, as well as nighttime black sky viewing. Park visitors often take their vehicles to Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument to partake in the scenic driving and auto touring exercises on offer.
The US Congress designated the Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness in 1984.
Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness lies to the north side of Interstate 15 through the Virgin River Canyon, just by the border of Arizona and Utah. This BLM wilderness is accessible both from Arizona and Utah. Visitors coming in from Arizona can access the wilderness from Interstate 15 via Cedar Pockets gravel road. Access from Utah is via the St. George area in Sun River. Four-wheel drive vehicles are good for the trip to this BLM park.
Within the boundaries of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness, the use of motorized vehicles such as bikes, and other mechanical equipment is not allowed. Therefore, visitors driving to the park are advised to look out for signs and posts indicating the wilderness boundaries as they approach the wilderness area. Around these areas, convenient places to park vehicles are available. Navigation within the wilderness area is either on foot or on horses. Wheelchairs are allowed within the wilderness.
There are no direct public transport services to this BLM property.
Visitors who require RVs and trailers for developed camping opportunities nearby will find rental services at Littlefield.
Virgin River Canyon Campground is located in the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, by the Virgin River Gorge, south of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness. The campsites in the campground are available on first-come, first-served basis and offer camping for tents and RVs/trailers.
75 campsites are present within the campground equipped with facilities such as potable water, ADA-accessible flush toilets, self-pay stations, parking spaces, and paved roads. The campsites are provided with picnic tables, grills, and some shade. No RV hookups are available.
Motorhomes and trailers longer than 50 feet cannot be accommodated in the campground.
Campers enjoy easy access to trailheads from the campground, making hiking a popular sport among vacationers.
Plenty of grand adventures are available to be had by vehicle for guests at Beaver Dams Mountains Wilderness who visit Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Hundreds of miles of roads available to discover offer the opportunity for adventurers to explore the stunning vistas around the national monument.
The most renowned scenic drive in the area is the Mt. Trumbull Scenic Loop Drive that goes from St. George in Utah through Toroweap, all the way to Pipe Spring National Monument.
This Bureau of Land Management wilderness property in Arizona is home to some vegetation that interest flora enthusiasts. Chief among the park’s flora are desert shrubs, Joshua trees, and scattered grasses. It is not uncommon for guests enjoying casual strolls to see rare plant species also. The higher elevation areas in the wilderness feature pinyon-juniper forests on the rugged mountain tops too. Depending on what interests you, you may choose to study the plants, or just use them as backgrounds for your photographs.
Every once in a while, campers at Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness visit the Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area north of the wilderness for enhanced recreation and sightseeing. Flora enthusiasts find additional plant communities such as creosote bush and white bursage in the NCA. The slopes of the mountains are covered by dense blackbrush stands and Joshua trees. The endangered Mojave Desert tortoise also lives in the NCA. A number of migratory birds also spend some time here before flying off at will.
Hiking and backpacking are exciting ways to explore the remote areas of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness. Until recently, this activity was not popular among campers in the wilderness. However, more and more guests are embracing the exercise, owing to the rewarding experience there.
If you would like to hike through the wilderness, then ensure you hone your cross-country skills before you head out. In addition, make sure you carry enough water and possess topographic maps and possibly a GPS unit, so you don’t get lost.
Virgin River is a popular destination for various recreational activities among outdoor enthusiasts and campers at this BLM park. In particular, kayakers and river rafters are attracted to the river for their recreational pursuits.
Sadly, in winter and fall, the water levels drop so low that these activities cannot be enjoyed. So, spring and summer are the peak periods for those that explore the river. Summer thunderstorms and spring runoff enhance the kayaking and whitewater rafting. It’s advisable to come along with your own vessel.
There are quite a number of wildlife species that roam Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness areas, the most commonly sighted ones being desert bighorn sheep and raptors. Within the wilderness, there are also some endangered species that are preserved such as desert tortoise. Wildlife enthusiasts that get to the Virgin River that flows through the eastern section of the wilderness get to see woundfin minnow and the endangered Virgin River chub that live in the river.
