| Chimney Peak Wilderness | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tulare County, California,United States |
| Nearest city | Ridgecrest, California |
| Coordinates | 35°50′56″N118°05′09″W / 35.84889°N 118.08583°W /35.84889; -118.08583 |
| Area | 13,134 acres (53.15 km2) |
| Established | Oct. 31, 1994 |
| Governing body | Bureau of Land Management |

TheChimney Peak Wilderness is a 13,134-acre (53.15 km2)[1]wilderness area located 20 miles (32 km) northwest ofRidgecrest, in southeasternTulare County, California.
The 1994California Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103–433) created the wilderness and it is managed by theBureau of Land Management (BLM),Department of the Interior.
The Chimney Peak Wilderness is a rugged and mountainousMojave Desert environment on the eastern side of the SouthernSierra Nevada Range. The wilderness is named for Chimney Peak, elevation 7,871 feet (2,399 m), located in the northeast corner of the wilderness.[2]
The area has Mojave Desert plants such asJoshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) andcreosote bush (Larrea tridentata) on the valley floors andalluvial fans and in the Sierra foothills. Higher Sierra elevations havesingle-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla).
Recreational activities include hiking, horseback riding, fishing and camping/backpacking. No motorized vehicles or mechanical equipment is allowed within a wilderness area. A backcountry byway for vehicles is adjacent to part of it.
ThePacific Crest Trail passes through the wilderness area.
A portion of the Sacatar Trail, an old wagon road into theOwens Valley once used by soldiers and cattlemen,[3] cross the Chimney Peak Wilderness, .
The BLM began a "byway" program in 1989 which is a tour by automobile through or near scenic public lands. This program designates "backcountry byways" along secondary roads. The Chimney Peak Backcountry Byway can be accessed fromState Route 178, is over 38 miles (61 km) in length and travels through Lamont Meadow, circles around Chimney Peak, and returns to Canebrake Road at Lamont Meadow.[4]