USFS · California

Monarch Wilderness

At the southern end of John Muir Wilderness, on the western border of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, Monarch Wilderness amply lives up to its regal name. Few areas of the United States can boast such...

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

Wilderness44,223 acresUSFSCADesignated 198429 campgrounds within 10 mi1 Forest Service site6 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Monarch Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateCalifornia
Size44,223 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point36.8440, -118.7958
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Monarch Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 8.03 inches of precipitation, 37.7 inches of snowFebruary: 7.33 inches of precipitation, 44.8 inches of snowMarch: 7.81 inches of precipitation, 35.1 inches of snowApril: 3.58 inches of precipitation, 20.0 inches of snowMay: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 4.9 inches of snowJune: 0.53 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJuly: 0.27 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.16 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.32 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.37 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowNovember: 3.26 inches of precipitation, 8.6 inches of snowDecember: 6.63 inches of precipitation, 30.8 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 35.9°F averageFebruary: 35.5°F averageMarch: 37.8°F averageApril: 41.0°F averageMay: 48.7°F averageJune: 58.2°F averageJuly: 65.6°F averageAugust: 65.4°F averageSeptember: 60.1°F averageOctober: 50.7°F averageNovember: 42.2°F averageDecember: 35.4°F average0 in10 in20 in30 in40 in50 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Grant Grove, 12 miles from the center point at 6,580 feet, station USC00043551 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 42 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 186 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 1,800 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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 sits inside the boundary. 29 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 0 mi
Convict Flat Campground
First-come5 sites
NPS · 1.4 mi
Sentinel Campground
Reservable82 sites
NPS · 1.8 mi
Canyon View Group Sites
Reservable16 sites
NPS · 2 mi
Moraine Campground
Reservable121 sites
NPS · 2 mi
Sheep Creek Campground
Reservable111 sites
FS · 2.6 mi
Landslide
Reservable8 sites
FS · 2.7 mi
Hume Lake
Reservable71 sites
FS · 2.8 mi
Logger Flat Group
Reservable1 site
Show 4 more

17 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 1

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 31 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Kanawyer ↗11.1
Deer Cove ↗9.4
Happy Gap4
Deer Meadow3.1
Obelisk1.7
Choke Creek1.6

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 Parks · 8 mi
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
National Register listings within 15 miles · 9 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Monarch Wilderness?

44,223 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Monarch Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Monarch Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Monarch Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Monarch Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Convict Flat Campground, 0 miles out. 29 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 Monarch Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 day hiking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Monarch Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.844, -118.796. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks is 8 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Monarch 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

Which national parks are near Monarch Wilderness?

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (8 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Monarch Wilderness?

9 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Knapp Cabin and Gamlin Cabin.

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.