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 of the Owens River, an area of forested mountains and alpine meadows on the east side of the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between June Lake and Mammoth Lakes, California. This area contains exceptionally diverse landforms and habitat including the expansive subalpine Glass Creek Meadow, and the regions largest old growth red fir forest. The San Joaquin Ridge forms the western boundary of the Wilderness, which is contiguous with the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 14,698 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.72° N, 119.06° W |
| 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.
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 19 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.
Show 4 moreHide
7 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 10 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Yost Meadow Loop ↗ | 6.9 | |
| Glass Creek Meadow | 1.9 | |
| Fern Lake | 0.8 | |
| Yost Lake | 0.2 |
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
- PrescribedCrooks Rx
44 mi from the center point · 15 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
- 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.
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 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?
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 Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.722° N, 119.058° W. 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 2026-11-01, the nearest Crooks Rx at 44 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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?
The National Register has 4 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.
- 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.