Golden Trout Wilderness
The brightly colored California state fish, the golden trout, lives in relative abundance in the waters of Golden Trout Wilderness, and special restrictions apply to anglers. Two Wild and Scenic Rivers, the North and South Forks of the Kern River, flow across the area. The North Fork rages through stunningly beautiful country and offers one of America's premier multiday white-water adventures, a challenge for the most expert rafter. Summer thunderstorms are common, but water may be scarce away from the rivers during dry spells. A large drainage basin surrounded by high, jagged peaks dominates the western portion of the Wilderness in Sequoia National Forest.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 303,713 acres |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.31° N, 118.32° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 17 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
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6 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 campground. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 13 miCottonwood Pass Walk in Campground ↗Campground
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
84 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 517 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT - Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 66.9 | |
| Summit ↗ | 31.1 | |
| Lion Meadow ↗ | 28.1 | |
| Lewis Camp ↗ | 21.8 | |
| Rincon ↗ | 19.5 | |
| Beach Meadow ↗ | 15.1 | |
| Fish Creek ↗ | 14.7 | |
| Kern Flat ↗ | 11.5 | |
| Trail Pass ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Farewell Gap ↗ | 9.8 |
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
- PrescribedGrant Grove Fall Rx
47 mi from the center point · 466 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
- 0.3 miQuinn Ranger Station ↗Mineral King, CA
- 3.5 miHockett Meadow Ranger Station ↗Silver City, CA
- 7.1 miSmithsonian Institution Shelter ↗Lone Pine, CA
- 9.6 miRedwood Meadow Ranger Station ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 11.7 miBearpaw High Sierra Camp ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 12.7 miElster, C. A., Building ↗Springville, CA
- 14.3 miMoro Rock Stairway ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 14.4 miTharp's Log ↗Three Rivers, 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 Golden Trout Wilderness?
303,713 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Golden Trout Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Golden Trout Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Golden Trout Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Golden Trout 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 Golden Trout Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.313° N, 118.322° W. Manzanar National Historic Site is 16 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Golden Trout Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Grant Grove Fall Rx at 47 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Golden Trout Wilderness?
Manzanar National Historic Site (16 mi) and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Golden Trout Wilderness?
The National Register has 9 listings within 15 miles, including Quinn Ranger Station and Hockett Meadow Ranger 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.