Carson-Iceberg Wilderness
This Wilderness straddles California's Sierra Nevada Crest, divided between Humboldt - Toiyabe and Stanislaus National Forests. Here you'll find spectacular high country, with 12 peaks rising above 10,000 feet and numerous other peaks over 9,000 feet, broad river valleys, perennial creeks with small waterfalls, granite-strewn slopes, and several, meadow-filled valleys. Here are the headwaters of the East Fork of the Carson River, the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus, and the Mokelumne River. The Carson River, named for Kit Carson, and a distinctive granite formation called the Iceberg on the southern boundary give this area its name.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 158,147 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.46° N, 119.75° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16) |
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.
Where to camp
None of the 36 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.
Show 4 moreHide
24 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
48 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 281 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Sonora Pass - Carson Pass ↗ | 50.3 | |
| East Carson River ↗ | 18.2 | |
| Highland Creek ↗ | 17 | |
| Silver King Trail ↗ | 15.4 | |
| PCT: Stanislaus ↗ | 12.9 | |
| Wolf Creek ↗ | 9.9 | |
| Bummer/Wheats ↗ | 9 | |
| Emigrant Trail ↗ | 8.5 | |
| Clark Fork ↗ | 7.1 | |
| High Trail ↗ | 7.1 |
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
- PrescribedFy27 Hemlock Rx
24 mi from the center point
- PrescribedBig Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx
33 mi from the center point · 170 acres
- PrescribedD54 Rx Pile Burning
46 mi from the center point
- PrescribedD51 Rx Pile Burning
47 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
- 3 miBaker Highway Maintenance Station ↗Strawberry, CA
- 7.8 miAlpine County Courthouse ↗Markleeville, CA
- 7.9 miWebster Schoolhouse, Old ↗Markleeville, CA
- 10.2 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
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 Carson-Iceberg Wilderness?
158,147 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Carson-Iceberg Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Carson-Iceberg Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Carson-Iceberg Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Carson-Iceberg 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 Carson-Iceberg Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.460° N, 119.747° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Carson-Iceberg Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy27 Hemlock Rx at 24 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Carson-Iceberg Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Baker Highway Maintenance Station and Alpine County Courthouse.
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.