Garcia Wilderness
Garcia Wilderness preserves the long east-west ridge of Garcia Mountain and separates Santa Lucia and Machesna Mountain Wildernesses. Here you'll find rugged, chaparral-cloaked slopes and oak woodlands...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 13,987 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1992, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.2450, -120.3134 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16) |
Boundary map
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
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. 5 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 22 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Caldwell - Trout Creek ↗ | 11.4 | |
| Sellers Potrero ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Avenales | 3.3 | |
| Stony Creek | 1.9 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 14.1 miCorral de Piedra ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 14.3 miWilliam Shipsey House ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 14.4 miMonday Club of San Luis Obispo ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 14.6 miArroyo Grande Ioof Hall ↗Arroyo Grande, CA
- 14.7 miTribune--Republic Building ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 14.8 miEight Mile House ↗Santa Margarita, CA
- 15 miAngel, Myron, House ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Garcia Wilderness?
13,987 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Garcia Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Garcia Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Garcia Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1992.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Garcia Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is American Canyon Campground, 0.2 miles out. 5 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 Garcia Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.245, -120.313. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Garcia Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Garcia Wilderness?
7 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Corral de Piedra and William Shipsey House.
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.
- 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.