Dick Smith Wilderness
Dick Smith—writer, artist, photographer—was deeply devoted to the preservation of the wild and was known by some as the "conscience of Santa Barbara." The Wilderness that now bears his name is a landscape of extremely rugged terrain, with elevations ranging from 3,750 feet along the Cayuma Rim to 6,541 feet atop Madulce Peak to the west. While chaparral dominates much of the area, mixed conifer forests thrive near Madulce Peak, adding to the ecological richness. To the east lies the more open Rancho Nuevo region, known for its massive sandstone formations and stands of Douglas fir and Great Basin sage.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 71,275 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.69° N, 119.54° 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.
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 10 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
11 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 55 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Alamar ↗ | 9.1 | |
| Santa Barbara Canyon ↗ | 7 | |
| Indian Canyon ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Poplar ↗ | 6.6 | |
| Deal ↗ | 6.2 | |
| Rancho Nuevo ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Don Victor ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Madulce | 3.1 | |
| Puerta Suelo | 3 | |
| Madulce Peak | 2.1 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miMadulce Guard Station and Site ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 8.5 miRattlesnake Canyon Bridge ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 9.4 miVal Verde ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 10.7 miAcacia Lodge ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 10.7 miSaint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Santa Barbara ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 10.8 miSanta Barbara Presidio ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 10.8 miUs Post Office--Santa Barbara Main ↗Santa Barbara, CA
- 10.8 miHill-Carrillo Adobe ↗Santa Barbara, CA
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 Dick Smith Wilderness?
71,275 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Dick Smith Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Dick Smith Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Dick Smith Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Dick Smith 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 Dick Smith Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.693° N, 119.540° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Dick Smith Wilderness?
The National Register has 23 listings within 15 miles, including Madulce Guard Station and Site and Rattlesnake Canyon Bridge.
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.