Trinity Alps Wilderness
Formerly known as the Salmon-Trinity Alps Primitive Area, the Trinity Alps Wilderness is located 50 miles west of Redding California. The area contains the Wild and Scenic Trinity River in the south and the Wild and Scenic Salmon River in the north. Numerous rushing streams feed into these rivers, many of them emerging from the region's 55 lakes. Scattered stands of timber, most of them virgin, are opened by large meadows with wildflowers in July and August, and shadowed by barren rock cliffs and stark peaks with elevations up to 9,000 feet. Black bears are common (despite the name, they're often colored brown or blond), sharing the area with an abundance of other wildlife species.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 537,357 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 41.02° N, 123.11° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
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.
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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 39 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
28 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 6 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 4 backpackings, 2 campgrounds. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 4 miChina Gulch Trailhead ↗Backpacking
- 5 miCecil Lake Trailhead ↗Backpacking
- 9 miBig Flat Trailhead ↗Backpacking
- 10 miBig Flat Campground (Klamath NF) ↗Campground
- 10 miBig Flat Campground ↗Campground
- 14 miHotelling Trailhead ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
183 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 968 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Shasta-Trinity ↗ | 143.7 | |
| Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 114.7 | |
| Salmon Summit ↗ | 22.2 | |
| Green Mountain ↗ | 20 | |
| North Fork ↗ | 16.6 | |
| Horse Ridge Trail ↗ | 16 | |
| Virgin Creek ↗ | 13.2 | |
| Stuart Fork ↗ | 12.8 | |
| Eagle Creek ↗ | 11.6 | |
| Waldorff Crossing ↗ | 11.5 |
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
- PrescribedFive-6 Understory Rx
20 mi from the center point
- PrescribedEw 10 Rx
20 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSrf 2026 Rx Implementation
30 mi from the center point · 500 acres
- PrescribedHayfork Watershed Rx
31 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
- 3.5 miBowerman Barn ↗Trinity Center, CA
- 7.2 miHoopa Valley Adobe ↗Hoopa, CA
- 7.2 miWhite's Gulch Arrastra ↗Sawyers Bar, CA
- 10.4 miSawyers Bar Catholic Church ↗Sawyers Bar, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Trinity Alps Wilderness and 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 Trinity Alps Wilderness?
537,357 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Trinity Alps Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Trinity Alps Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Trinity Alps Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Trinity Alps 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 Trinity Alps Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.020° N, 123.108° W. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is 21 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Trinity Alps Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Five-6 Understory Rx at 20 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Trinity Alps Wilderness?
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (21 mi) and Redwood National and State Parks (28 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Trinity Alps Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Bowerman Barn and Hoopa Valley Adobe.
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.