Mokelumne Wilderness
The Mokelumne River bisects remote mountainous terrain where elevations range from about 4,000 feet near Salt Springs Reservoir outside the southwest corner to over 10,000 feet on Round Top Peak in the...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 104,048 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.5829, -119.9930 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21) |
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.
Where to camp
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 33 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
22 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 7 miMokelumne Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
33 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 235 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Sonora Pass - Carson Pass ↗ | 50.3 | |
| Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 26.6 | |
| Carson Emigrant N.R.T ↗ | 17.6 | |
| Camp Irene ↗ | 15.6 | |
| PCT: Stanislaus ↗ | 12.9 | |
| Lake Valley ↗ | 10.7 | |
| Tanglefoot ↗ | 10.2 | |
| Munson Meadow ↗ | 9.1 | |
| Silver Lake - Horse Canyon ↗ | 8.6 | |
| Underwood Valley ↗ | 7.8 |
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
- 2.2 miWebster Schoolhouse, Old ↗Markleeville, CA
- 2.4 miAlpine County Courthouse ↗Markleeville, CA
- 14.2 miJobs Peak Ranch ↗Genoa, NV
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mokelumne Wilderness?
104,048 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mokelumne Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mokelumne Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mokelumne Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mokelumne Wilderness?
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Silver Lake East- Eldorado. 34 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 Mokelumne Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 backpacking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Mokelumne Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.583, -119.993. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Mokelumne Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 21 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 Mokelumne Wilderness?
3 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Webster Schoolhouse, Old and Alpine County Courthouse.
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.