Dark Canyon Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in southeastern Utah, United States.

Dark Canyon Wilderness is a horseshoe-shaped protected area in southeastern Utah made up of the upper 40-mile Dark Canyon and its Woodenshoe and Peavine tributaries, all descending from pine-covered Elk Ridge in Manti-La Sal National Forest. Its terraced sandstone walls rise 3,000 feet above the canyon floors, with arches, springs, seeps and hanging gardens between ponderosa pine high country and desert vegetation.

Dark Canyon Wilderness was designated in 1984 under the Utah Wilderness Act, which also kept open a cherry-stem jeep trail in Peavine Canyon as a compromise after the Forest Service recommended closing the area to vehicles. On December 28, 2016, President Barack Obama proclaimed the 1.35 million acre Bears Ears National Monument, including the wilderness and the adjacent Dark Canyon Primitive Area.

The canyons hold several ruins of cliff dwellings left by the Ancestral Puebloan culture, built into the rock walls of the region. Visitors may spot these traces of past habitation while exploring the canyons.

Bring at least one gallon of water per person daily, as natural water sources from springs and streams can be unreliable throughout the area. Weather can shift rapidly, especially at higher elevations, so proper gear and preparation are essential before setting out.

The wilderness takes its name from high, steep walls that narrow in the lower section, blocking the light in the morning and late afternoon. The roughly horseshoe-shaped area covers the upper part of 40-mile-long Dark Canyon plus Woodenshoe and Peavine canyons, all descending from pine-covered Elk Ridge.