Bright Star Wilderness
Bright Star Canyon winds through Kelso Creek as it leaves Sequoia National Forest and enters the southern portion of the Bright Star Wilderness. To the northwest, Cortez Canyon cuts through the Kelso Mountains, while Kelso Peak rises to 5,090 feet in the northeast, with steep drainages spreading in all directions. Elevations in the area range from 3,000 feet in Kelso Valley to over 5,800 feet on the highest ridges. The landscape changes with the seasons. Summer days can be hot, often exceeding 100°F, while cooler nights offer relief. In winter, snow blankets the higher elevations. After rainy seasons, wildflowers create vivid displays across the slopes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | California |
| Size | 8,191 acres |
| Designated | 1994, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.51° N, 118.24° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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 is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 18 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Woolstalf Meadow ↗ | 17.9 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
Guidebooks for California
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bright Star Wilderness?
8,191 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Bright Star Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Bright Star Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Bright Star Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1994.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Bright Star Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.505° N, 118.243° W. César E. Chávez National Monument is 23 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Bright Star Wilderness?
César E. Chávez National Monument (23 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
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.