Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness
The Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness offers spectacular views of the historic Juan Bautista de Anza Trail, soaring peaks, and the vast desert landscape. Its chaparral covered slopes and forested mountaintop are home to mountain lion, mountain and California quail, and the rare red diamond rattlesnake.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 5,575 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.57° N, 116.79° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
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, 3 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cahuilla Mountain | 3.1 |
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
32 mi from the center point
- WildfireGreen
39 mi from the center point · 55 acres
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
- 10.9 miOak Grove Butterfield Stage Station ↗National Historic Landmark
- 9.5 miPearlman Mountain Cabin ↗Idyllwild, CA
- 11.2 miDonaldson Futuro ↗Idyllwild, 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 Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness?
5,575 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.571° N, 116.793° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Greater El Cariso Rx at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station and Pearlman Mountain Cabin.
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.