John Krebs Wilderness
The John Krebs Wilderness is named after John Hans Krebs, a former congressman (1975-1978) who fought to protect the lush hills, forests and steep granite peaks that make up the Mineral King Valley. It consists of a sweeping landscape of mountains, canyons, meadows, lakes, rushing rivers and giant Sequoia trees. The area's extraordinary topographic relief—from 3,400 feet above sea level in the foothills to 12,400 feet along the Great Western Divide—supports incredible vegetative diversity. Drought-resistant chaparral and blue oak woodlands blanket its low-elevation western slopes, while stark mountain summits and alpine lakes define its eastern boundary.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 39,740 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.41° N, 118.67° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 4 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 10 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| 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
29 mi from the center point · 466 acres
- PrescribedRx White Deer
38 mi from the center point · 35 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
- 1 miHockett Meadow Ranger Station ↗Silver City, CA
- 3.1 miRedwood Meadow Ranger Station ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 4.7 miQuinn Ranger Station ↗Mineral King, CA
- 5.5 miAsh Mountain Entrance Sign ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 5.6 miBearpaw High Sierra Camp ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 7.2 miMoro Rock Stairway ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 7.8 miTharp's Log ↗Three Rivers, CA
- 7.8 miSquatter's Cabin ↗Three Rivers, CA
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 John Krebs Wilderness?
39,740 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages John Krebs Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is John Krebs Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was John Krebs Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at John Krebs 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 John Krebs Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.413° N, 118.670° W. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks is 16 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near John Krebs Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Grant Grove Fall Rx at 29 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near John Krebs Wilderness?
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (16 mi) and Manzanar National Historic Site (29 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near John Krebs Wilderness?
The National Register has 14 listings within 15 miles, including Hockett Meadow Ranger Station and Redwood 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.