Ansel Adams Wilderness
This wilderness was originally established as the Minarets Wilderness in 1964. These "minarets", a jagged ridge of peaks known as the Ritter Range, are considered to be the one of the most spectacular...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 231,619 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.5939, -119.1817 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 59 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 moreHide
47 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 campground. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 13 miOnion Springs Overflow Camping Area ↗Campground
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
126 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 514 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT - Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 66.9 | |
| California Riding and Hiking ↗ | 49.4 | |
| French ↗ | 21.5 | |
| John Muir ↗ | 14 | |
| Mammoth ↗ | 12.8 | |
| Isberg ↗ | 11.9 | |
| String Meadow ↗ | 11.9 | |
| Millers Crossing ↗ | 11.4 | |
| Stevenson ↗ | 11.4 | |
| Iron Creek ↗ | 10.2 |
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.
Fire nearby
- WildfireDome
24 mi from the center point · 1,177 acres · 10% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.1 miDevils Postpile National Monument Ranger Cabin ↗Mammoth Lakes, CA
- 0.4 miTioga Pass Entrance Station ↗Lee Vining, CA
- 1.3 miGreat Sierra Mine Historic Site ↗Lee Vining, CA
- 2.9 miSachse Spring Snow Survey Shelter ↗Yosemite, CA
- 6.7 miSoda Springs Cabin ↗Lee Vining, CA
- 6.8 miMcCauley Cabin ↗Lee Vining, CA
- 6.8 miMerced Lake Ranger Station ↗Yosemite, CA
- 7.2 miTuolumne Meadows ↗Lee Vining, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Ansel Adams Wilderness?
231,619 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Ansel Adams Wilderness?
U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service share management. The U.S. Forest Service portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Ansel Adams Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Ansel Adams Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Ansel Adams Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Pumice Flat Group Camp, 0.1 miles out. 59 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Ansel Adams Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 campground campground. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Ansel Adams Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.594, -119.182. Devils Postpile National Monument is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Ansel Adams Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Dome at 24 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Ansel Adams Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 17 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Ansel Adams Wilderness?
Devils Postpile National Monument (adjacent) and Yosemite National Park (18 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.