Inyo Mountains Wilderness
The north-south Inyo Mountains comprise a high and vast desert range, and the isolated and pristine Wilderness that bears their name encompasses a large portion of this sheerly rugged terrain. The area reaches a high point on Keynot Peak, at about 11,000 feet, and separates the Owens Valley on the west from the Saline Valley on the east. Most of the eastern border is shared with Death Valley National Park. In addition to Keynot Peak, the prominent summits of New York Butte and Mount Inyo provide tough, nontechnical hikes with splendid views as rewards. Creosote, shadscale scrub, and sagebrush proliferate at lower elevations. You'll find a lush riparian habitat in the moist canyons, and pinion-juniper woodlands on some of the slopes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 199,208 acres |
| Designated | 1994, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.78° N, 117.95° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
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 2 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
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 53 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Sawabu Flat Trail ↗ | 18 | |
| Pat Keyes Spring ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Pat Keyes Spring ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Tamarack Canyon | 4.3 | |
| Mazourka Canyon | 4.2 | |
| Winnedumah Vis | 4.2 | |
| Seephole Spring-Lead Canyon | 3.6 | |
| Sidehill Springs | 3 | |
| Sidehill to Tamarack Cutoff | 1.1 |
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
- 7.5 miInyo County Courthouse ↗Independence, 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 Inyo Mountains Wilderness?
199,208 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Inyo Mountains Wilderness?
Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Inyo Mountains Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Inyo Mountains Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1994.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Inyo Mountains 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 Inyo Mountains Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.781° N, 117.954° W. Manzanar National Historic Site is 6 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Inyo Mountains Wilderness?
Manzanar National Historic Site (6 mi) and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (30 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Inyo Mountains Wilderness?
The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including Inyo 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.