The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness was designated under the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, the same act that designated the Dominguez-Escalante NCA.  A wilderness management plan will be a part of the NCA's new resource management plan (RMP).  Please see the D-E NCA resource management plan page for more information.   

As a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness must be managed in compliance with the Wilderness Act of 1964.  This means that the requirements for management of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness are more restrictive than requirements for management of the rest of the Dominguez-Escalante NCA.

The BLM manages wilderness areas so that their 'wilderness character is preserved for future use and enjoyment as wilderness.

The components of wilderness character:

• Untrammeled- essentially free of human control and manipulation
• Natural- substantially free from the effects of modern civilization
• Undeveloped- retains its primeval character, essentially without permanent improvements
• Outstanding opportunities for solitude and unconfined recreation
• Unique/supplemental values

Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a 66,280-acre expanse located within the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. The Wilderness is part of what was the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area. The sandstone canyons and pinyon-juniper covered mesas of the wilderness offer excellent hiking opportunities. Year-round, water runs through the Little Dominguez Creek creating a great habitat for many birds, mammals and reptiles. Desert bighorn sheep have been reintroduced to the area and visitors can often see the sheep grazing at the base of the cliffs in the wilderness. Rock art on the canyon walls and wickiups on the mesas testify to the thousands of years the Native Americans used the area for hunting, shelter and as a travel corridor from the Gunnison River Valley to the Uncompagre Plateau. These canyons also show traces of the early miners and settlers who lived and worked throughout the area.

Fact Sheet: Information about the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area

Map of: Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area

Brochure: Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area *Note* This brochure is being updated to reflect the new designation of the National Conservation Area and Wilderness