BLM · California

Buzzards Peak Wilderness

The geologically rich soils of the Buzzards Peak Wilderness create landscapes of rich chocolate brown, yellows, reds, and blues. This area is an important part of the traditional homeland of the Quechan tribe, containing ancient trails, intaglios, rock alignments, sleeping circles, lithic scatter, and other evidence of the tribe’s long history here. Wildlife and plants found here include: cholla and beavertail cacti, ocotillos, palo verde, acacias, ironwood trees, the rare California ditaxis, desert tortoise, Yuma king snake, Colorado River toad, Great Plains toad, tree lizard, burros, mule deer, and mountain lion.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Buzzards Peak Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateCalifornia
Size11,840 acres
Designated2019, by Congress
Center point33.19° N, 114.84° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 30)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Buzzards Peak Wilderness50°60°70°80°90°100°January: 0.53 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.62 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.48 inches of precipitationApril: 0.09 inches of precipitationMay: 0.05 inches of precipitationJune: 0.01 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.26 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.40 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.32 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.16 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.21 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.43 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 55.7°F averageFebruary: 59.3°F averageMarch: 65.6°F averageApril: 72.1°F averageMay: 80.3°F averageJune: 89.2°F averageJuly: 95.0°F averageAugust: 94.7°F averageSeptember: 88.0°F averageOctober: 75.4°F averageNovember: 62.9°F averageDecember: 54.0°F average0 in0.5 in1 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Blythe AP, 30 miles from the center point at 395 feet, station USW00023158 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 4 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 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.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Buzzards Peak Wilderness?

11,840 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Buzzards Peak Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Buzzards Peak Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Buzzards Peak Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2019.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to Buzzards Peak Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 33.193° N, 114.835° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

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.