BLM · USFS · California

Bighorn Mountain Wilderness

The north-central portion of this Wilderness area holds the rugged Bighorn Mountains and the eastern foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. It presents a rare transition zone between the yucca- and...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Bighorn Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service
StateCalifornia
Size38,599 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1994, by Congress
Center point34.2877, -116.6475
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 27)

Boundary map

2 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 Bighorn Mountain Wilderness40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 1.36 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.28 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.51 inches of precipitationApril: 0.30 inches of precipitationMay: 0.16 inches of precipitationJune: 0.03 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.30 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.27 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.24 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.38 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.24 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.49 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 47.3°F averageFebruary: 49.0°F averageMarch: 54.2°F averageApril: 60.4°F averageMay: 68.2°F averageJune: 77.5°F averageJuly: 83.2°F averageAugust: 82.7°F averageSeptember: 75.7°F averageOctober: 65.1°F averageNovember: 53.3°F averageDecember: 44.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Johnson Valley, 8 miles from the center point at 3,167 feet, station USC00044394 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 6 inches a year. The station sits about 2,200 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 →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 19 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

7 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 1 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Bighorn Mountain Wilderness?

38,599 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Bighorn Mountain Wilderness?

Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Bighorn Mountain Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Bighorn Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1994.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Bighorn Mountain Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Juniper Springs Group Camp, 2 miles out. 19 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

How do I get to Bighorn Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.288, -116.647. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Bighorn Mountain Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 27 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Bighorn Mountain Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Washington, Henry, Survey Marker.

Source: Register Atlas

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.
  • 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.