Machesna Mountain Wilderness
From a low point of about 1,600 feet, this Wilderness climbs to the 4,063-foot summit of Machesna Mountain in the southwest section. American Canyon is the region's major drainage. This is a scenic area, with the scenery getting finer the higher you venture until you can make out the snowcapped Sierra Nevada in the distance. Primarily national forestland, the Wilderness has a small western section that fall under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction. Here in the La Panza mountain range, three-fourths of the area is chaparral brushland, roughly another 10 percent is pine-crowned peaks and majestic rocky crags, and the rest consists of an oak-dotted grassland.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 18,278 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.29° N, 120.22° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20) |
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 5 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
2 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 15 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Crags ↗ | 10.9 | |
| American Canyon | 4.2 |
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
- PrescribedDunes Lake Cultural Rx Burn
26 mi from the center point
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.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Machesna Mountain Wilderness?
18,278 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Machesna Mountain 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 Machesna Mountain Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Machesna Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Machesna Mountain 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 Machesna Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.292° N, 120.225° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Machesna Mountain Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Dunes Lake Cultural Rx Burn at 26 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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.