Mokelumne Wilderness
The Mokelumne River bisects remote mountainous terrain where elevations range from about 4,000 feet near Salt Springs Reservoir outside the southwest corner to over 10,000 feet on Round Top Peak in the north. Shallow valleys lying north of Mokelumne Peak (9,332 feet), in the southern portion of the area, hide many small lakes. The Raymond Peak area located in the eastern section, provides some additional mountain scenery. The river canyon is extremely rugged and poison oak grows in profusion along the banks. In general, though, glaciers have smoothed the area, leaving the well-placed trails relatively easy to hike. In spring and summer, several large meadows scattered throughout the wild land bloom with a riot of wildflower color.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 104,048 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.58° N, 119.99° 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.
Where to camp
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 31 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
20 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 7 miMokelumne Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
33 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 235 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Sonora Pass - Carson Pass ↗ | 50.3 | |
| Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 26.6 | |
| Carson Emigrant N.R.T ↗ | 17.6 | |
| Camp Irene ↗ | 15.6 | |
| PCT: Stanislaus ↗ | 12.9 | |
| Lake Valley ↗ | 10.7 | |
| Tanglefoot ↗ | 10.2 | |
| Munson Meadow ↗ | 9.1 | |
| Silver Lake - Horse Canyon ↗ | 8.6 | |
| Underwood Valley ↗ | 7.8 |
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
- PrescribedFy27 Hemlock Rx
16 mi from the center point
- PrescribedBig Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx
27 mi from the center point · 170 acres
- PrescribedD51 Rx Pile Burning
46 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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 2.2 miWebster Schoolhouse, Old ↗Markleeville, CA
- 2.4 miAlpine County Courthouse ↗Markleeville, CA
- 14.2 miJobs Peak Ranch ↗Genoa, NV
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 Mokelumne Wilderness?
104,048 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mokelumne Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mokelumne Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mokelumne Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mokelumne 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 Mokelumne Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.583° N, 119.993° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mokelumne Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy27 Hemlock Rx at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Mokelumne Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Webster Schoolhouse, Old and Alpine 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.