| South Warner Wilderness | |
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| Location | Modoc County,California, United States |
| Nearest city | Alturas, California |
| Coordinates | 41°19′00″N120°10′34″W / 41.3165622°N 120.176054°W /41.3165622; -120.176054[1] |
| Area | 70,385 acres (284.84 km2) |
| Established | 1964 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
TheSouth Warner Wilderness is a federally designatedwilderness area 12 miles (19 km) east ofAlturas, California, United States. It encompasses more than 70,000 acres (283 km2) of theWarner Mountains. It is within theModoc National Forest and managed by theUS Forest Service. Elevations range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to 9,895 feet[1] atEagle Peak.
The highest parts of the Warner Mountains were set aside in 1931 as a primitive area. In 1964, theWilderness Act created the South Warner Wilderness. In 1984, 1,940 acres (7.9 km2) were added to the wilderness with the passage of theCalifornia Wilderness Act.[2]
The Warner crest divides waters that flow west into the Sacramento/Pit River drainage, and east into theGreat Basin alkali lakes ofSurprise Valley. Much of the crest is a narrow ridgeline with notable peaks such as Emerson Peak andWarren Peak. The eastern side of the wilderness is a steep, abrupt escarpment of volcanic terrain of cliff bands and terraces. Very different from the east side are the western slopes. Heavily forested, steadily rising slopes furrowed by several drainages such as Mill Creek.
The west side also includes a portion of a 6,016-acre (2,435 ha) state game refuge.
The Warner Mountain Range is afault block range, with the Surprise Valley Fault on the east and the Likely Fault to the west. The steep escarpment on the east side of the range is the exposed side of the Surprise Valley fault.[3]Geologists estimate thatbasalt lava flows occurred 15 to 30 million years ago, creating the Modoc Plateau which is a part of the largerColumbia Plateau. The breaking up of the crust occurred about 10 million years ago with large blocks moving and more volcanic lava flows, which created the mountains and block fault valleys of recent time.[4]The landscape of today is not from mountain building but from the forces oferosion such as wind, water, and pastglaciation.
There are several lakes in the wilderness: Patterson, Mosquito, South Emerson, North Emerson, Clear Lake, Cottonwood, Cougar, Linderman, and Irons.Patterson Lake is the largest, highest in elevation and most visited. It also has a self-sustaining population oftrout.Major streams draining the range are Poison Creek, Mill Creek, Parker Creek, and on the east side, Eagle Creek.
The rich volcanic soils support dense stands ofwestern juniper,ponderosa pine,Jeffrey pine, andwhite fir trees. At the highest elevations arelodgepole pine,whitebark pine, fields ofsagebrush andbitterbrush. Many species of rare plants are protected in the South Warner Wilderness, a few of which are perennial wildflowers such astufted saxifrage (Saxifraga cespitosa) andHigh Sierra phlox (Phlox dispersa). Annuals includeCusick's monkeyflower (Mimulus cusickii). A notable rare shrub is the nativewestern black currant (Ribes hudsonianum var.petiolare), which grows in wetland/riparian habitat, blooms from May through July, and has less than five documented occurrences in the state.[5]
Wildlife includeRocky Mountain mule deer, alsomountain lions,beaver,bobcat,coyote andmartens.Black bears are very rare but present. The wilderness is on the path of thePacific Flyway.
Hiking is the most popular activity, both day hikes andbackpacking, withfishing, horseback riding,snowshoeing, andcross-country skiing making up the remainder.[6]Dramatic views from the crest includeMount Shasta in the west,Modoc Plateau to the north, Surprise Valley in the Great Basin in the east and in the south, theSierra Nevada range.
There are 79.2 miles (127 km) of trails within the wilderness area, plus unmaintained pathways adding another 20 miles (32 km). There are eight trailheads surrounding the wilderness and five campgrounds. Pepperdine Trailhead offers corrals for horses and stock parties.
The Forest Service and many organizations encourage the practice ofLeave No Trace principles of outdoor travel to minimize human impact on the environment.
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