Bright Star Wilderness
Bright Star Canyon encloses Kelso Creek and leaves Sequoia National Forest to cross the southern portion of the Bureau of Land Management's Bright Star Wilderness. In the northwestern portion, Cortez Canyon...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | California |
| Size | 8,191 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1994, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.5053, -118.2425 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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 is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 18 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Woolstalf Meadow ↗ | 17.9 |
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
- WildfireAlper
40 mi from the center point · 105 acres
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
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bright Star Wilderness?
8,191 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Bright Star Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Bright Star Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Bright Star Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1994.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Bright Star Wilderness?
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Bright Star Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.505, -118.243. César E. Chávez National Monument is 23 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Bright Star Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Alper at 40 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Bright Star Wilderness?
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 Bright Star Wilderness?
César E. Chávez National Monument (23 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.