John Muir Wilderness
In 1889, John Muir described himself as a "self-styled poetico-tramp-geologist-bot. and ornith-natural, etc.!!! ". John Muir spent his life advocating for the protection of the wild parts of the Sierra Nevada. He believed that public support for the protection of these lands would come about if more of the public experienced these areas. He formed the Sierra Club for just this reason. The John Muir Wilderness encompasses many of the lands that Muir explored in the late 1800's. From east of Fresno California in the north, the John Muir Wilderness forks around Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park and extends some 100 miles to the south with its southern most boundary just west of Lone Pine, California.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 652,903 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.04° N, 118.84° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21) |
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
2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 79 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
69 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead, 1 viewpoint, 1 campground. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 24 miBear Ridge Cutoff Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 24 miVermillion View Observation Site ↗Viewpoint
- 28 miMosquito Flat Backpacker Campground ↗Campground
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
209 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 844 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT - Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 66.9 | |
| Dusy - Ershim ↗ | 28.7 | |
| PCT ↗ | 27 | |
| Blackcap ↗ | 18.7 | |
| Woodchuck ↗ | 17.7 | |
| PCT - Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 17.6 | |
| Fish Creek ↗ | 15.4 | |
| Florence Lake ↗ | 15.3 | |
| Crown Valley ↗ | 15.1 | |
| Baker Summit ↗ | 12.3 |
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
21 mi from the center point · 466 acres
- PrescribedRx White Deer
26 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
- 0.1 miSmithsonian Institution Shelter ↗Lone Pine, CA
- 2.4 miDevils Postpile National Monument Ranger Cabin ↗Mammoth Lakes, CA
- 4.1 miInyo County Courthouse ↗Independence, CA
- 9.7 miDinkey Creek Bridge ↗Dinkey Creek, CA
- 11.8 miGamlin Cabin ↗Wilsonia, CA
- 12.2 miBarton-Lackey Cabin ↗Mineral King, CA
- 13.5 mi
- 13.9 miKnapp Cabin ↗Cedar Grove, 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 John Muir Wilderness?
652,903 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages John Muir Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is John Muir Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was John Muir Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at John Muir 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 Muir Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.038° N, 118.836° W. Devils Postpile National Monument is 2 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near John Muir Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Grant Grove Fall Rx at 21 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near John Muir Wilderness?
Devils Postpile National Monument (2 mi), Manzanar National Historic Site (6 mi) and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (12 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near John Muir Wilderness?
The National Register has 8 listings within 15 miles, including Smithsonian Institution Shelter and Devils Postpile National Monument Ranger Cabin.
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.