California Wilderness Areas

California, United States, North America
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Sign the Climber's Log

California Wilderness

LeConte FallsWaterwheel Falls in the Yosemite Wilderness

The state of California contains 99,823,000 acres. Of this, 14,335,873 acres are preserved by the 1964 Wilderness Preservation Act. This constitutes 14.36% of the state's total area. The preserved land is divided up between 137 wilderness areas which are administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish & Wildlife Service. Almost every environment in California is represented: alpine tundra, arid deserts, redwood forests, oak savannas, towering mountains and rugged coastline. Many of these wilderness areas, such as Yosemite and the Desolation Wilderness, are among the state's most popular destinations. Others, like the South Warners and and the San Raphael, are seldom visited.

Since much of the state's best climbing, backpacking and hiking is found within these wilderness areas, it is useful to bring them together in one place. This will increase ease of discovery for those who seek to use Summitpost as a resource to inform themselves on potential destinations.

This page will include only official wilderness areas or parks that contain wilderness areas that are present on Summitpost. The exceptions to this are wilderness areas covering a single mountain, such as the Mount Shasta Wilderness. More will be added to the list as the pages are created.

Wilderness Areas

Klamath Mountains
Warren PeakWarren Peak and Patterson Lake in the South Warner Wilderness

Trinity Alps Wilderness 525,627 acres
Castle Crags Wilderness 10,500 acres
Chanchelulla Wilderness 8,200 acres
Siskiyou Wilderness 182,802 acres

Cascade Range

Mount Shasta Wilderness 33,845 acres
Lassen Volcanic Wilderness 78,982 acres
Thousand Lakes Wilderness 16,335 acres
Ishi Wilderness 41,339 acres
South Warner Wilderness* 70,614 acres

North Coast Range
Point ReyesPoint Reyes Beach in the Philip Burton Wilderness

King Range Wilderness 42,585 acres
Philip Burton Wilderness (Point Reyes National Seashore) 25,952 acres
Mount Lassic Wilderness 7,279 acres

Northern Sierra

Desolation Wilderness 63,475 acres
Mokelumne Wilderness 99,161 acres

High Sierra
Bloody CanyonUpper Sardine Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness

Yosemite Wilderness 704,624 acres
Ansel Adams Wilderness 231,005 acres
John Muir Wilderness 580,323 acres
Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness 723,036 acres
Golden Trout Wilderness 303,511 acres
Jennie Lakes Wilderness 10,289 acres

Southern Sierra

Domeland Wilderness 130,081 acres

California Desert

Death Valley Wilderness 3,253,028 acres
Mojave Wilderness 695,200 acres
Joshua Tree Wilderness 557,802 acres
Carrizo Gorge Wilderness 14,614 acres

*The South Warner Wilderness is technically not a part of the Cascade range but is categorized such since no clear taxonomical category for it exists.

External Links

- Wilderness.net: Site dedicated to wilderness areas throughout the United States.

- Sierra Nevada Wild: Informative page that provides extensive information on all wilderness areas in the Sierra Nevada.

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

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Alex Wood

Alex Wood - Nov 14, 2008 12:32 am - Hasn't voted

Jennie Lakes

I added Jennie Lakes Wilderness awhile back. Just thought I would let you know so you could put it on the main page. Thanks!

Bubba Suess

Bubba Suess - Nov 20, 2008 1:59 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Jennie Lakes

Fixed. Thanks for pointing it out.

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