| John Muir Wilderness | |
|---|---|
 Long Lake in Little Lakes Valley, John Muir Wilderness | |
  none Show map of California John Muir Wilderness (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Fresno /Inyo /Mono /Madera counties,California, United States |
| Nearest city | Fresno, CA |
| Coordinates | 36°58′33″N118°48′42″W / 36.97583°N 118.81167°W /36.97583; -118.81167 |
| Area | 652,793 acres (2,641.76 km2)[1] |
| Established | January 1, 1964 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
TheJohn Muir Wilderness is awilderness area that extends along the crest of theSierra Nevada ofCalifornia for 90 miles (140 km), in theInyo andSierra National Forests.[2] Established in 1964 by theWilderness Act and named for naturalistJohn Muir, it encompasses 652,793 acres (2,641.76 km2).[1] The wilderness lies along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra from nearMammoth Lakes andDevils Postpile National Monument in the north, to Cottonwood Pass nearMount Whitney in the south.[3] The wilderness area also spans the Sierra crest north ofKings Canyon National Park, and extends on the west side of the park down to theMonarch Wilderness.
The wilderness contains some of the most spectacular and highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada, with 57 peaks over 13,000 feet (4,000 m) in elevation.[3] The peaks are typically made of granite from theSierra Nevada Batholith, and are dramatically shaped byglacial action. The southernmost glacier in the United States, thePalisade Glacier, is contained within the wilderness area.[2] Notable east-side glaciated canyons are drained byRock,McGee andBishop Creeks.[3]
The eastern escarpment in the wilderness rises from 6,000 to 8,000 feet (1,800 to 2,400 m) from base to peak, in 5 to 6 miles (8 to 10 km).[3] The Sierra crest contains peaks from 12,000 to 14,000 feet (3,700 to 4,300 m) in elevation, includingMount Whitney, the highest peak in thecontinental United States. Other notable mountains in the wilderness area include thePalisades andMount Humphreys.Mount Muir is located 2 miles south ofMount Whitney.Mount Williamson is the second-highest peak in the wilderness, at 14,375 feet (4,382 m): it rises in one continuous sweep of granite from the floor of theOwens Valley to a peak just east of the main range.
The John Muir Wilderness contains the largest contiguous area above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the continental United States. It contains large areas ofsubalpine meadows andfellfields above 10,800 feet (3,300 m), containing stands ofwhitebark andfoxtail pine.[3] From 9,000 feet (2,700 m) to 10,800 feet (3,300 m), the wilderness is dominated bylodgepole pines. Below the lodgepole forest is forest dominated byJeffrey pine.[4]
Common animals in the wilderness includeyellow-bellied marmots,pikas,golden-mantled ground squirrels,Clark's nutcrackers,golden trout, andblack bears.[3] The wilderness area also includesCalifornia bighorn sheep zoological areas, which are set aside for the protection of the species.
The wilderness contains 589.5 miles (948.7 km) of hiking trails,[3] including theJohn Muir Trail and thePacific Crest Trail, which run through the wilderness from north to south. The John Muir Wilderness is the second most-visited wilderness in the United States, and quotas for overnight use have been implemented on virtually all trailheads.[3]
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