Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness
Located between the North and South Yolla Bolly Mountains in the as-rugged-as-it-comes headwater country of the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork of the Eel River, Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness ranges in...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 182,298 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.0529, -123.0268 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
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.
Weather by month
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
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.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 11 miBlands Cove Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
66 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 298 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Summit ↗ | 17 | |
| Humboldt ↗ | 14.5 | |
| Willow Creek ↗ | 13 | |
| Chicago Camp ↗ | 12.8 | |
| River ↗ | 11.3 | |
| South Fork Cottonwood Creek ↗ | 11.2 | |
| Ides Cove Loop ↗ | 10.7 | |
| Cottonwood ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Hell Hole Canyon ↗ | 10.4 | |
| Buck Ridge ↗ | 9.3 |
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
- 9.6 miRound Valley Flour Mills ↗Covelo, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
182,298 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Hammerhorn Campground, 0.1 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
Where are the trailheads in Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 trailhead. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.053, -123.027. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness?
1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Round Valley Flour Mills.
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.