California Wilderness Areas – List & Map

By
Mountain Journey
-

In this post, we highlight 149 California Wilderness Areas and provide a map so that you can locate these wild playgrounds for your next adventure.

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The state of California is roughly 100,206,720 acres. Of that acreage, 14,967,957 acres are federally protected as wilderness. The following information about California Wilderness Areas is gathered from the Wilderness.net database.

Here is a map of the California Wilderness Areas:

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*** For a better map of wilderness areas in the United States, visit UMontana.Maps.ArcGis.com.

Below is a list of the California Wilderness Areas:

Agua Tibia Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 17,975
  • Year Designated: 1975
  • Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management

Ansel Adams Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 231,617
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service & National Park Service

Argus Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 65,726
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Beauty Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 15,628
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Big Maria Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 45,384
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 14,645
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Bighorn Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 38,599
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & National Park Service

Black Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 20,548
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Bright Star Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 8,191
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Bristol Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 71,389
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Bucks Lake Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 23,578
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Cache Creek Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 27,296
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Cadiz Dunes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 19,935
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 5,575
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Caribou Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 20,833
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Carrizo Gorge Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 14,740
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 158,070
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Castle Crags Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 10,609
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Cedar Roughs Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 6,287
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Chanchelulla Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 8,062
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: <85,864/li>
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Chimney Peak Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 13,140
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 99,548
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Chumash Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 37,768
  • Year Designated: 1992
  • Agency:

Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 39,167
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Clipper Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 33,843
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Coso Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 49,296
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Coyote Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 18,631
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Cucamonga Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 13,007
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Darwin Falls Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 8,189
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Dead Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 47,158
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Death Valley Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 3,102,456
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: National Park Service
  • *** – The Death Valley Wilderness is located on the California/Nevada border. Of the 3,102,456 total acres, 3,057,106 acres are located in California.

Desolation Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 64,053
  • Year Designated: 1969
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Dick Smith Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 71,275
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Dinkey Lakes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 30,863
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Domeland Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 133,720
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management

El Paso Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 23,679
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Elkhorn Ridge Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 11,001
  • Year Designated: 2011
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Emigrant Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 112,723
  • Year Designated: 1975
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Farallon Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 141
  • Year Designated: 1974
  • Agency: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 21,390
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Funeral Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 25,707
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Garcia Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 13,948
  • Year Designated: 1992
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Golden Trout Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 303,770
  • Year Designated: 1978
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Golden Valley Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 36,536
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Granite Chief Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 28,374
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Granite Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 31,059
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Grass Valley Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 30,186
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Hain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 15,985
  • Year Designated: 1976
  • Agency: National Park Service

Hauser Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 6,919
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Havasu Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 3,195
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Hollow Hills Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 22,366
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Hoover Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 128,221
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Ibex Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 28,822
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Imperial Refuge Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 15,056
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: US Fish & Wildlife Service
  • *** – The Imperial Refuge Wilderness is located on the California/Arizona border. Of the 15,056 total acres, 5,836 acres are located in California.

Indian Pass Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 32,419
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Inyo Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 199,208
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

Ishi Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 42,045
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

Jacumba Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 31,358
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Jennie Lakes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 10,510
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

John Krebs Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 39,740
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: National Park Service

John Muir Wilderness

John Muir Wilderness, Convict Lake
Entering The John Muir Wilderness
  • Total Acres: 652,793
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Joshua Tree Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 594,502
  • Year Designated: 1976
  • Agency: National Park Service

Kaiser Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 21,986
  • Year Designated: 1976
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Kelso Dunes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 144,915
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Kiavah Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 86,245
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

King Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 42,695
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Kingston Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 199,739
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Lassen Volcanic Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 78,982
  • Year Designated: 1972
  • Agency: National Park Service

Lava Beds Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 28,460
  • Year Designated: 1972
  • Agency: National Park Service

Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 28,052
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Little Picacho Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 38,216
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Machesna Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 18,274
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

Magic Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 11,938
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Malpais Mesa Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 31,906
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Manly Peak Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 12,897
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Marble Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 225,114
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Matilija Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 29,207
  • Year Designated: 1992
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Mecca Hills Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 26,356
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Mesquite Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 44,804
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Mojave Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 695,200
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: National Park Service

Mokelumne Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 104,050
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Monarch Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 44,216
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Mount Lassic Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 7,295
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Mt. Shasta Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 36,981
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Newberry Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 26,102
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Nopah Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 106,623
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

North Algodones Dunes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 25,895
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

North Fork Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 8,158
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 28,955
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Old Woman Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 165,172
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Orocopia Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 51,289
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Otay Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 16,893
  • Year Designated: 1999
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Owens Peak Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 73,868
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Owens River Headwaters Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 14,698
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Pahrump Valley Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 73,726
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Palen/McCoy Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 236,488
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Palo Verde Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 30,605
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Phillip Burton Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 27,315
  • Year Designated: 1976
  • Agency: National Park Service

Picacho Peak Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 8,860
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Pine Creek Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 13,261
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Pinto Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 24,348
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Piper Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 72,192
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Piute Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 48,080
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 26,839
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Red Buttes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 20,133
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service
  • *** – The Red Buttes Wilderness is located on the California/Oregon border. Of the 20,133 total acres, 16,356 acres are located in California.

Resting Spring Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 76,312
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Rice Valley Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 41,777
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Riverside Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 24,004
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Rocks and Islands Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 6
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Rodman Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 34,264
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Russian Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 12,521
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Sacatar Trail Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 50,451
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 1,530
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

San Gabriel Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 35,738
  • Year Designated: 1968
  • Agency: US Forest Service

San Gorgonio Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 96,572
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management

San Jacinto Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 32,186
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

San Mateo Canyon Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 39,413
  • Year Designated: <1984/li>
  • Agency: US Forest Service

San Rafael Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 191,104
  • Year Designated: 1968
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Sanhedrin Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 10,650
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Santa Lucia Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 20,242
  • Year Designated: 1978
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

Santa Rosa Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 78,576
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management

Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 33,772
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 768,222
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: National Park Service

Sespe Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 219,209
  • Year Designated: 1992
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Sheep Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 43,182
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Sheephole Valley Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 188,169
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Silver Peak Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 31,533
  • Year Designated: 1992
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Siskiyou Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 179,847
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Snow Mountain Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 60,221
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

South Fork Eel River Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 12,868
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

South Fork San Jacinto Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 20,158
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: US Forest Service

South Nopah Range Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 17,059
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

South Sierra Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 60,280
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

South Warner Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 70,192
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Stateline Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 6,964
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Stepladder Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 83,195
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Surprise Canyon Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 24,433
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Sylvania Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 18,682
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Thousand Lakes Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 16,582
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Trilobite Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 37,308
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Trinity Alps Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 537,363
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: US Forest Service

Turtle Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 177,309
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

Ventana Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 236,726
  • Year Designated: 1969
  • Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management

Whipple Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 76,123
  • Year Designated: 1994
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management

White Mountains Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 229,953
  • Year Designated: 2009
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 182,299
  • Year Designated: 1964
  • Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management

Yosemite Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 704,624
  • Year Designated: 1984
  • Agency: National Park Service

Yuki Wilderness

  • Total Acres: 53,339
  • Year Designated: 2006
  • Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service

For more information about the numerous wilderness areas scattered across the United States, visit Wilderness.net.

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