San Mateo Canyon Wilderness
Mountains covered with chaparral and coastal sage dominate the landscape of San Mateo Canyon Wilderness. Many deep drainages hide a lush growth of vegetation, with oak woodlands thick in the lower elevations....
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 39,412 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 33.5417, -117.4231 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
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. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 11 miModjeska House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.4 miGreystone Villa--Cabin 18 ↗Cleveland National Forest, CA
- 4.1 miCrescent Bathhouse ↗Lake Elsinore, CA
- 4.5 miArmory Hall ↗Lake Elsinore, CA
- 8.1 miCalifornia Theatre, The ↗San Bernardino, CA
- 8.2 miParra, Miguel, Adobe ↗San Juan Capistrano, CA
- 8.2 miHarrison House ↗San Juan Capistrano, CA
- 8.2 miGoldschmidt House ↗San Clemente, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
39,412 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is San Mateo Canyon Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was San Mateo Canyon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Wildomar Campground, 0.1 miles out. 3 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 San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 33.542, -117.423. Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is 19 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 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 San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (19 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near San Mateo Canyon Wilderness?
30 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Modjeska House and Greystone Villa--Cabin 18.
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.