This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kaiser Wilderness" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Kaiser Wilderness | |
---|---|
Location | Fresno County, California |
Nearest city | Fresno, California US |
Coordinates | 37°25′00″N119°10′00″W / 37.41667°N 119.16667°W /37.41667; -119.16667 |
Area | 22,700 acres (92 km2) |
Established | October 19, 1976 |
Governing body | US Department of Agriculture /U.S. Forest Service |
TheKaiser Wilderness is a federally designated wildernessprotected area located 70 miles (110 km) northeast ofFresno in the state ofCalifornia, USA. It was added to theNational Wilderness Preservation System by the United States Congress on October 19, 1976.[1] The wilderness is 22,700 acres (92 km2) in size, is one of five wilderness areas within theSierra National Forest and is managed by theUS Forest Service.
The Kaiser Wilderness stretches along an east–west ridge and is separated from theHigh Sierra by the South ForkSan Joaquin River canyon. It is a miniature version of the Sierra, with elevations from 7,200 feet (2,200 m) to 10,320 feet (3,150 m) atKaiser Peak, and is composed of glacier-scoured granite blocks,cirques, lakes, granitic cliffs and alpine peaks. Although a small wilderness, it is part of the almost contiguous federal wilderness areas along the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range with theJohn Muir Wilderness on the east, andAnsel Adams Wilderness to the northeast. Immediately south isHuntington Lake, a rustic summer time resort area. China Peak Ski Resort lies south of the Wilderness as well
The forest consists ofwhite fir,Jeffrey pine,red fir,western white pine, andmountain hemlock. On Kaiser Ridge there are stands oflodgepole pine, and at timberlinewhitebark pine andSierra juniper grow in mats ofkrummholtz.Willows andalders grow along the perennial streams that form the drainage area of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River.
Some of the popular lakes in the Kaiser Wilderness are Nellie Lake, George Lake, and Upper Twin Lake, with Upper Twin Lake having a cave where the outlet stream disappears into and then flows underground for several hundred yards before resurfacing.
Recreational activities includeday hiking,backpacking, horseback riding, fishing, rock scrambling, nature photography and snowshoeing. A wilderness permit is required for overnight trips into the Kaiser Wilderness. The Forest Service encourages the practice ofLeave No Trace principles of outdoor travel to minimizehuman impact on the environment.
Adkinson, RonWild Northern California. The Globe Pequot Press, 2001