Emigrant Wilderness
The Emigrant Wilderness lies on the upper western slope of the central Sierra Nevada, bordered by Yosemite Wilderness to the south, Carson-Iceberg to the north, and Hoover Wilderness to the east. Stretching about 25 miles long and up to 15 miles wide, its waters drain into the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers. This glaciated landscape features granite peaks, lava-capped ridges, alpine lakes, streams, and deep canyons. The northeast is dominated by volcanic terrain, while the rest consists of granite ridges, meadows, and over 200 miles of trails, including part of the Pacific Crest Trail. Elevations range from below 5,000 feet to 11,570 feet at Leavitt Peak.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 112,723 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.18° N, 119.76° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25) |
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 20 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
8 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
37 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 197 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Huckleberry Trail ↗ | 38.5 | |
| PCT: Sonora Pass - Dorothy Lk ↗ | 18.6 | |
| Bell Meadow ↗ | 16.5 | |
| PCT: Stanislaus ↗ | 12.9 | |
| Crabtree ↗ | 12.3 | |
| Lake Valley ↗ | 10.7 | |
| Relief Valley ↗ | 9.8 | |
| Eagle Creek ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Burst Rock ↗ | 8 | |
| Lunch Meadow ↗ | 6.9 |
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedD54 Rx Pile Burning
28 mi from the center point
- PrescribedFy27 Hemlock Rx
28 mi from the center point
- PrescribedBig Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx
30 mi from the center point · 170 acres
- PrescribedD51 Rx Pile Burning
36 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
- under 0.1 miLeighton Encampment ↗Pinecrest, CA
- 2.5 miBaker Highway Maintenance Station ↗Strawberry, CA
- 4.1 miFrog Creek Cabin ↗Yosemite, CA
- 5.1 miNiagara Camp ↗Tuolumne, CA
- 6.3 mi
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 Emigrant Wilderness?
112,723 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Emigrant Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Emigrant Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Emigrant Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Emigrant 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 Emigrant Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.183° N, 119.762° W. Yosemite National Park is 20 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Emigrant Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest D54 Rx Pile Burning at 28 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Emigrant Wilderness?
Yosemite National Park (20 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Emigrant Wilderness?
The National Register has 5 listings within 15 miles, including Leighton Encampment and Baker Highway Maintenance Station.
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.