BLM · California

Piper Mountain Wilderness

The Piper, Sylvania, and Inyo Mountains meet in Piper Mountain Wilderness. Alluvial fans cover large portions of the eastern side of the area. Wide, barren plains and dry hills form much of the landscape....

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Piper Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateCalifornia
Size72,192 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1994, by Congress
Center point37.3224, -117.9257
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 31)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Piper Mountain Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.64 inches of precipitation, 3.2 inches of snowFebruary: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 2.5 inches of snowMarch: 0.43 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowApril: 0.48 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowMay: 0.59 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowJune: 0.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.31 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 0.30 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowDecember: 0.51 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.3°F averageFebruary: 37.2°F averageMarch: 44.0°F averageApril: 50.1°F averageMay: 58.7°F averageJune: 68.4°F averageJuly: 74.8°F averageAugust: 72.3°F averageSeptember: 64.1°F averageOctober: 52.2°F averageNovember: 40.0°F averageDecember: 31.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Dyer 5S, 20 miles from the center point at 4,900 feet, station USC00262431 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 5 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 9 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 sits inside the boundary. 2 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Piper Mountain Wilderness?

72,192 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Piper Mountain Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Piper Mountain Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Piper Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1994.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Piper Mountain Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Cedar Flat Group Campground, 5.3 miles out. 2 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 Piper Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.322, -117.926. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Piper Mountain Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 31 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

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.
  • 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.