Golden Trout Wilderness
The brightly colored California state fish, the golden trout, lives in relative abundance in the waters of Golden Trout Wilderness, and special restrictions apply to anglers. A large drainage basin surrounded...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 303,713 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.3128, -118.3221 |
| 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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 22 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 moreHide
11 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 miCottonwood Pass Walk in Campground ↗Campground
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
84 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 517 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT - Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 66.9 | |
| Summit ↗ | 31.1 | |
| Lion Meadow ↗ | 28.1 | |
| Lewis Camp ↗ | 21.8 | |
| Rincon ↗ | 19.5 | |
| Beach Meadow ↗ | 15.1 | |
| Fish Creek ↗ | 14.7 | |
| Kern Flat ↗ | 11.5 | |
| Trail Pass ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Farewell Gap ↗ | 9.8 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.3 miQuinn Ranger Station ↗Mineral King, CA
- 3.5 miHockett Meadow Ranger Station ↗Silver City, CA
- 7.1 miSmithsonian Institution Shelter ↗Lone Pine, CA
- 9.6 miRedwood Meadow Ranger Station ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 11.7 miBearpaw High Sierra Camp ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 12.7 miElster, C. A., Building ↗Springville, CA
- 14.3 miMoro Rock Stairway ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 14.4 miTharp's Log ↗Three Rivers, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Golden Trout Wilderness?
303,713 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Golden Trout Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Golden Trout Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Golden Trout Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Golden Trout Wilderness?
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Cottonwood Pass Walk in Campground. 23 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 Golden Trout 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 Golden Trout Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.313, -118.322. Manzanar National Historic Site is 16 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Golden Trout 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 Golden Trout Wilderness?
Manzanar National Historic Site (16 mi) and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Golden Trout Wilderness?
9 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Quinn Ranger Station and Hockett Meadow Ranger Station.
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.