BLM · California

Sand to Snow National Monument

Sand to Snow National Monument is a National Monument located in southern San Bernardino County and northern Riverside County, Southern California. Established by President Barck Obama in 2016 pursuant to his powers under the Antiquities Act, the monument is jointly managed by two serpate agencies of the federal government, the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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DesignationNational Monument
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateCalifornia
Size174,844 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
National Conservation Lands idNLCS002020
Center point34.0736, -116.6898
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24)

Boundary map

3 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Sand to Snow National Monument40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 2.72 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.90 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.90 inches of precipitationApril: 0.22 inches of precipitationMay: 0.07 inches of precipitationJune: 0.02 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.19 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.22 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.17 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.17 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.31 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.48 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 50.0°F averageFebruary: 51.2°F averageMarch: 55.6°F averageApril: 60.1°F averageMay: 67.1°F averageJune: 76.1°F averageJuly: 81.2°F averageAugust: 82.2°F averageSeptember: 77.0°F averageOctober: 67.5°F averageNovember: 57.1°F averageDecember: 49.5°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Morongo Valley N, 7 miles from the center point at 3,145 feet, station USC00045860 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 9 inches a year. The station sits about 1,700 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 31 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Show 4 more

20 more within ten miles are not listed here.

21 named Forest Service trails start or end within 9.3 miles of the center point, 121 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Santa Ana River Trail38.7
San Bernardino Peak Trail10.7
PCT Section 219
Vivian Creek8.4
Dry Lake6.4
PCT Section 236.2
Fish Creek6
PCT Section 225.6
PCT Section 245.1
Millard Canyon4.8

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet. The radius is the one a circle of this unit’s acreage would have, measured from the center point, so a trail listed here can fall outside the boundary.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 45 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Sand to Snow National Monument?

174,844 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Sand to Snow National Monument?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

What state is Sand to Snow National Monument in?

California.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Sand to Snow National Monument?

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Coon Creek Cabin Group Campground. 32 in all are within ten miles. Rules vary by unit; the BLM page has the current camping rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Sand to Snow National Monument?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.074, -116.690. Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is 22 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

How dark is the night sky at Sand to Snow National Monument?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 24 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Sand to Snow National Monument?

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (22 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Sand to Snow National Monument?

45 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Washington, Henry, Survey Marker and Tramway Gas Station.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the BLM National Conservation Lands layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Sand to Snow National Monument on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by trail endpoints falling inside a circle of this unit’s acreage around the center point.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.