BLM · California

Granite Mountain Wilderness

A geologically varied landscape of open alluvial basins, basaltic plateaus and granite ridges, the Granite Mountain Wilderness is an excellent Great Basin addition to the National Wilderness Preservation...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Granite Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateCalifornia
Size31,059 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2009, by Congress
Center point37.9894, -118.7876
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 26)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Granite Mountain Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.66 inches of precipitation, 19.0 inches of snowFebruary: 2.71 inches of precipitation, 16.1 inches of snowMarch: 1.82 inches of precipitation, 11.6 inches of snowApril: 0.70 inches of precipitation, 3.3 inches of snowMay: 0.73 inches of precipitation, 1.6 inches of snowJune: 0.41 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJuly: 0.51 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.31 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowNovember: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowDecember: 2.56 inches of precipitation, 11.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 33.4°F averageMarch: 39.3°F averageApril: 45.2°F averageMay: 52.9°F averageJune: 61.9°F averageJuly: 69.0°F averageAugust: 67.6°F averageSeptember: 60.7°F averageOctober: 50.5°F averageNovember: 40.3°F averageDecember: 32.0°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Lee Vining, 18 miles from the center point at 6,797 feet, station USC00044881 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 15 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 70 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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 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.

9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 21 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Little Granite4.2
Granite Mountain4.1
Cedar Springs2.7
Clark Spring2.3
Upper Pasture2.2
Baby Granite2
White Rock Spring1.7
Tin Trough Springs1
American Ranch0.5

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

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
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 Granite Mountain Wilderness?

31,059 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Granite Mountain Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Granite Mountain Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Granite Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2009.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Granite Mountain 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 Granite Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.989, -118.788. Devils Postpile National Monument is 26 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Granite Mountain Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 26 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 Granite Mountain Wilderness?

Devils Postpile National Monument (26 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Granite Mountain Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Wagon Shed and Stable.

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.