Beginning in 1978, 22 million acres of BLM-administered public lands in Utah were inventoried to identify areas meeting the basic criteria for wilderness character. The Utah BLM identified 83 areas, totaling 3.2 million acres, as meeting the criteria to become Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). In the BLM’s Moab Field Office (encompassing public lands in Grand County and in the northern portion of San Juan County), about 360,000 acres in 11 areas were identified as WSAs. In the year 2000, one of these (Black Ridge Canyon West WSA) was designated as part of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area. Most of this wilderness area is in Colorado; it is managed by the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area out of the BLM Grand Junction Field Office.

The WSA’s in the Moab Field Office meet the basic criteria for wilderness: they have at least 5,000 acres of federal land (or are adjacent to land proposed for wilderness by other agencies), are in a generally natural condition, and have outstanding opportunities for solitude and/or primitive and unconfined recreation in at least a part of the WSA. Most of the WSA’s also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, scenic or historical value.

WSA Management
The BLM is required to maintain the wilderness character of each WSA until a final decision is made by Congress as to whether it becomes part of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), or is released form WSA status and made available for other uses. The general standard for this management is that the suitability of these lands for preservation as wilderness must not be impaired.

Some activities, such as vehicle or mountain bike use off legal routes (routes identified as existing travel routes by the BLM in the original inventory), woodcutting, or issuing new mineral leases, are no longer allowed. Other activities have special restrictions, although valid existing rights are recognized. Grandfathered uses such as grazing and mineral uses are allowed, but are restricted to the same manner and degree as on the date FLPMA was approved. Any questions as to what types of activities are allowed in a WSA should be directed to the BLM’s Moab Field Office.

Recreation Use
Most primitive recreation activities are allowed on lands under wilderness review. These include hiking and camping, backpacking, fishing and hunting, rock hounding, boating (with or without motors), horseback riding, and the use of pack animals.

Vehicles (including dirt bikes and ATV’s) and mountain bikes may only travel on routes which were documented at the time of the 1980 wilderness inventory. (See the descriptions of individual WSAs for more information). Use off these routes threatens wilderness suitability and may result in complete closure of areas to vehicle use. Cross-country travel by vehicle or mountain bike is strictly prohibited.

In some areas of the Moab Field Office, the presence of fragile soils, crucial wildlife habitat, threatened and endangered species, primitive recreation opportunity, or high scenic quality have led to complete off-highway-vehicle (OHV) closures. Please respect these closures.

Outfitter services for primitive recreation activities such as guided river, hunting, horseback, rock climbing, and educational trips are available in many WSAs and are authorized by permit. No commercial motorized vehicle or mountain bike use is authorized within WSAs. Motorized rafts are permitted on river segments where motors have been used historically. Individuals interested in outfitted trips or in obtaining a permit to conduct commercial uses should contact the Moab Field Office.

Respecting The Land
Although these wilderness study areas may appear rough and barren, they support a fragile desert ecosystem which can easily be damaged by careless actions. You can help maintain the wilderness character of these areas by using minimum impact techniques when you visit.

Please:

• Park vehicles outside of the wilderness study areas
• Minimize the crushing of vegetation by hiking or riding horses in wash bottoms and in areas with sparse ground cover whenever possible
• Avoid travel through the dark, crusty-looking, patches of cryptobiotic soils that serve to retard erosion when left undisturbed
• Set up tents on bare soil or slickrock, not on vegetation
• Bury all solid human body waste at least a hundred feet away from water sources and pack out used toilet paper
• Camp, bathe and wash dishes well away from water sources
• Carry out what you bring in and pick up trash left by others
• Use a portable stove; if you must have a campfire, use a previously constructed fire ring and burn only dead and down wood
• Leave prehistoric and historic artifacts and rock art as you find them
• Distribute the impact of recreation visitation by timing your trip to avoid peak use period

Safety Tips
WSAs are situated in remote, arid locations far from medical or other assistance. To help ensure a safe and enjoyable trip, please consider the following recommendations:

• Never camp in a wash or stream bed and avoid hiking in narrow canyons when rain is a possibility. A dry wash can flash flood in a matter of minutes
• Carry at least one gallon of water per person per day as there are few sources of potable water within the WSAs
• Take precautions to guard against heat exhaustion during warm weather by avoiding overexertion, drinking plenty of fluids, using sunscreen, and wearing a hat with a broad brim
• Let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to return
• Take extra water and food in case your trip takes longer than planned; don’t forget a first aid kit

Maps and References
The Canyonlands Natural History Association sells a wide variety of maps and books about southeastern Utah.  Click here for a link to the Canyonlands Natural History Association Bookstore.