Blackridge Wilderness is a 13108 acres (5,304.6 ha) wilderness area in the state of Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

. It was designated March 30, 2009, as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Located adjacent to the Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons is the northwest section of Zion National Park of Utah, United States. The Kolob Canyons are part of the Colorado Plateau region of the park and are noted for their colorful beauty and diverse landscape. This part of Zion National Park is accessed by a park road about 20 miles south...

 section of Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River...

, it protects a Black Ridge, formed by the Hurricane Fault, as well as a long stretch of LaVerkin Creek, a tributary of the Wild and Scenic Virgin River

Virgin River

The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.-Course:...

. Blackridge Wilderness is bordered by the Zion Wilderness

Zion Wilderness

Zion Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Utah. Designated March 30, 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Zion Wilderness is found within the boundaries of Zion National Park and is managed by the National Park Service...

 to the northeast.

Flora and fauna

Ecosystems in the Blackridge Wilderness range from low desert at the bottom of LaVerkin Creek, through pinyon

Pinyon pine

The pinyon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans, and are still widely eaten...

-juniper woodlands in the middle elevations, and ponderosa pine

Ponderosa Pine

Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...

, Douglas fir, and aspen

Aspen

Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...

 forests at the highest elevations. Hanging gardens grow on some canyon walls. The wilderness and creek also offer habitat for mountain lion, mule deer

Mule Deer

The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...

, many species of raptor

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

, and numerous small animals.

External links

• "Blackridge Wilderness". Wilderness.net.
• "Map of wilderness areas in northeastern Washington County, Utah".