BLM · California

Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness

Ridges extend like fingers from the Laguna Mountains east to become Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness, with elevations from 5,600 feet down to 1,400 feet. Valleys between the ridges unfold to become the desert...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateCalifornia
Size33,772 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1994, by Congress
Center point32.9025, -116.3543
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 28)

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 Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness40°50°60°70°80°January: 2.69 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.82 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.59 inches of precipitationApril: 0.90 inches of precipitationMay: 0.40 inches of precipitationJune: 0.08 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.75 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.49 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.53 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.70 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.39 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.30 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 41.7°F averageFebruary: 41.9°F averageMarch: 45.2°F averageApril: 50.5°F averageMay: 56.9°F averageJune: 65.3°F averageJuly: 71.2°F averageAugust: 70.2°F averageSeptember: 64.9°F averageOctober: 56.0°F averageNovember: 47.3°F averageDecember: 42.2°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mt Laguna #3, 4 miles from the center point at 5,920 feet, station USC00045968 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year.

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

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

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 Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness?

33,772 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1994.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Burnt Rancheria, 0.6 miles out. 7 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 Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 32.903, -116.354. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 28 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 Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Robinson Hotel.

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.
  • 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.