South Sierra Wilderness

Infobox Protected area
name = South Sierra Wilderness
iucn_category = Ib

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caption =
base_width =
locator_x = 25
locator_y = 94
location =
nearest_city = Bakersfield, California US
lat_degrees= 36
lat_minutes= 11
lat_seconds= 00
lat_direction= N
long_degrees= 118
long_minutes= 06
long_seconds= 00
long_direction= W
area = 62,774 acres
established =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Forest Service
world_heritage_site =The South Sierra Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness protected area located 65 miles northeast of Bakersfield, California. Created in 1984 with the passage of the California Wilderness Act by the U.S. Congress, it is about ninety eight square miles in size and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Elevations range from 6,000 feet up to 12,123 feet at Olancha Peak. [ [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150506/olancha-peak.html Summitpost's webpage on Olancha Peak.] ] Recreational activities include backpacking, day hiking, fishing, rock climbing, skiing and snowshoeing.

The South Sierra Wilderness is the most southern part of a continuous chain of wilderness areas protecting the Sierra Nevada crest from Walker Pass to Lake Tahoe. Two very different landscapes are within the boundaries; the Kern Plateau occupies the southern portion with low, forested ridges, narrow meadows, and woodlands of Jeffrey pine, red fir and lodgepole pine. The northern portion is more mountainous with Olancha Peak and Round Mountain (9,884 ft).The Wild and Scenic South Fork Kern River bisects the wilderness in a north - south direction on the east side.

Wildlife includes the large Monarche deer herd, the sensitive Sierra Nevada Red Fox, the pine martin and the black bear.

The Forest Service encourages the practice of Leave No Trace principles of outdoor travel to minimize human impact on the environment.

Hiking trails

There are six trailheads leading into the wilderness, and one campground, Kennedy Meadows, providing access to the Pacific Crest Trail.
The Wildrose Trail is nine miles in length and travels through Pinyon pine forests.
The Olancha Pass Trail starts at the Sage Flat Trailhead on the eastside and is six miles in length.The majority of trail users are hunters in autumn and the grazing allotment permittees.

References

Adkinson, Ron "Wild Northern California", The Globe Pequot Press, 2001

Footnotes

Further reading

[http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php Center for Outdoor Ethics-Principles of Leave No Trace]

[http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/index.shtml Inyo National Forest section on wilderness areas.]