USFS · Wilderness area · California

Silver Peak Wilderness

Encompassing the drainages of Willow Creek and Salmon Creek, Silver Peak Wilderness rises sharply from near the shore of the Pacific Ocean, an area of steep terrain that's part of the Santa Lucia Mountains....

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Silver Peak Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateCalifornia
Size31,415 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1992, by Congress
Center point35.8540, -121.3405
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 4 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Plaskett

    5 mi from the center point · 29,993 acres · 97% contained

  • Wildfire
    Timber

    33 mi from the center point · 25,435 acres · 44% 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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 4 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Silver Peak Wilderness?

31,415 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Silver Peak Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Silver Peak Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Silver Peak Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1992.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Silver Peak Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Plaskett Creek Campground, 1 miles out. 4 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 Silver Peak Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 35.854, -121.341. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Silver Peak Wilderness right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Plaskett at 5 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Silver Peak Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Silver Peak Wilderness?

4 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Gil, Jose Mario, Adobe and Milpitas Ranchhouse.

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.