Agua Tibia Wilderness
The steep, chaparral-covered mountains of Agua Tibia Wilderness give way to stands of fir, pine, and oak at higher elevations that rise above 4,400 feet on Agua Tibia Mountain. Untouched by wildfire for what may be more than a century, some of the dense stands of chaparral have manzanita and red shank reaching higher than 20 feet. Elevation ranges from 1,700 feet in the canyon bottoms to the 5,077-foot Eagle Crag Peak. Although light snow may fall in winter and rain from January to April (usually averaging 25 inches annually), summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit and water may be hard to find. Temperatures tend to be a more moderate 80-90 degrees at upper elevations.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 18,002 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.42° N, 116.98° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
Boundary map
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
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
None of the 5 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 30 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cutca ↗ | 10.4 | |
| Wildhorse Peak ↗ | 10.1 | |
| Dripping Springs ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Palomar Magee | 2.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedGreater El Cariso Rx
25 mi from the center point
- WildfireGreen
47 mi from the center point · 55 acres
- PrescribedOak Woodlands Wcsl Rx
48 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 5.8 miOak Grove Butterfield Stage Station ↗National Historic Landmark
- 4.2 miWolf Store and Vail Ranch Headquarters ↗Temecula, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for California
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Agua Tibia Wilderness?
18,002 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Agua Tibia 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 Agua Tibia Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Agua Tibia Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Agua Tibia Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Agua Tibia Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.422° N, 116.981° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Agua Tibia Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Greater El Cariso Rx at 25 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Agua Tibia Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station and Wolf Store and Vail Ranch Headquarters.
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.