Ishi Wilderness
The Yahi Yana Indians lived in this region for over 3,000 years before white settlers arrived around 1850 and promptly exterminated all but the handful who escaped into the harsh and remote canyons of what today is known as Ishi Wilderness. Ishi, whose name is the Yahi word for "man," was the last survivor of the tribe. You may find evidence of the Yahi Yana who lived here, historic pieces of all that remains of these people, and you should leave what you find alone. Carved by wind and water into basaltic outcroppings, caves, and bizarre pillars of lava, Ishi Wilderness is an up-and-down land of east-west ridges within rugged river canyons.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 42,079 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.11° N, 121.73° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18) |
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
11 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 49 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek ↗ | 19.5 | |
| Deer Creek Ishi ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Grahams Pinery/Devils Den Ishi | 4 | |
| Moak | 3.7 | |
| Lassen Trail Ishi | 3.4 | |
| Buena Vista Trail Ishi | 3 | |
| Boat Gunwale Tie Ishi | 2.4 | |
| Rancheria Trail Ishi | 2.4 | |
| Table Mountain Ishi | 2.1 | |
| Deep Hole Tie Ishi | 1.9 |
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
- PrescribedAlmanor South Cg 10/31/26 Rx
30 mi from the center point
- PrescribedEcho Lake Pile 10/29/2026 Rx
37 mi from the center point
- PrescribedLower Gas Point Vmp Rx
46 mi from the center point · 254 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
- 10.4 miInskip Hotel ↗Stirling City, CA
- 12.5 mi
- 13.4 miMolino Lodge Building ↗Tehama, 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 Ishi Wilderness?
42,079 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Ishi 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 Ishi Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Ishi Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Ishi 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 Ishi Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.111° N, 121.735° W. Lassen Volcanic National Park is 26 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Ishi Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Almanor South Cg 10/31/26 Rx at 30 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Ishi Wilderness?
Lassen Volcanic National Park (26 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Ishi Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Inskip Hotel and Park Headquarters, Lassen Volcanic National Park.
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.