Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
The Owens River Headwaters Wilderness was designated through President Obama's signing of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act on March 31, 2009. This 14,721 acre wilderness protects the headwaters...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 14,698 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.7219, -119.0575 |
| 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.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 19 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
7 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Fire nearby
- WildfireDome
32 mi from the center point · 1,177 acres · 0% contained
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
- 2.6 miDevils Postpile National Monument Ranger Cabin ↗Mammoth Lakes, CA
- 12.5 miTioga Pass Entrance Station ↗Lee Vining, CA
- 13.7 miGreat Sierra Mine Historic Site ↗Lee Vining, CA
- 14.4 miMerced Lake Ranger Station ↗Yosemite, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
14,698 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Owens River Headwaters Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Owens River Headwaters Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Obsidian Flat, 0.1 miles out. 19 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.722, -119.058. Devils Postpile National Monument is 3 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Owens River Headwaters Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Dome at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 18 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
Devils Postpile National Monument (3 mi) and Yosemite National Park (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
4 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Devils Postpile National Monument Ranger Cabin and Tioga Pass Entrance 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.
- 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.