Emigrant Wilderness

Emigrant Wilderness
IUCN categoryIb (wilderness area)
Lake Lertora, Emigrant Wilderness
Location	Tuolumne County, California,United States
Nearest city	Merced, CA
Coordinates	38°11′07″N119°45′53″W
Area	112,277 acres (454.37 km2)
Established	January 1, 1974
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

Emigrant Wilderness outline map

TheEmigrant WildernessofStanislaus National Forestis awilderness areain theSierra Nevada.It is bordered byYosemite National Parkon the south, theToiyabe National Forestand theHoover Wildernesson the east, andState Route 108over Sonora Pass on the north. It is an elongated area that extends northeast about 25 miles (40 km) in length and up to 15 miles (24 km) in width. Watersheds drain to theStanislausandTuolumne Rivers.The Emigrant Wilderness area, which is a glaciated landscape, is entirely withinTuolumne County, Californiaand is approximately 140 miles (230 km) east ofSan Francisco, Californiaand 50 miles (80 km) south ofLake Tahoe.

The northeastern third of the Wilderness is dominated by volcanic ridges and peaks; the remaining areas consist of many sparsely vegetated, granitic ridges interspersed with numerous lakes and meadows. Elevations range from below 5,000 feet (1,500 m) nearCherry Reservoirto 11,570 feet (3,527 m) atLeavitt Peak,but the elevation range of most of the popular areas is 7,500 to 9,000 feet (2,300 to 2,700 m). Precipitation averages 50 inches (1,300 mm) annually, 80% of it in the form of snow. Snowpacks typically linger into June, sometimes later following very wet winters. Summers are generally dry and mild, but afternoon thundershowers occur periodically and nighttime temperatures could dip below freezing anytime.

History

Various native peoples occupied this area for 10,000 years, spending the summer and early autumn hunting in the high country and trading with groups from the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. The most recent groups were theSierra Miwokof the western slope andPiuteof the Great Basin.

Following the discovery of gold in 1848, large numbers of miners and settlers came to the Sierra and the native cultures quickly declined. In September–October 1852, theClark-Skidmore partybecame the firstemigrantgroup to travel theWest Walker routeoverEmigrant Pass,continuing through a portion of the present-day Emigrant Wilderness. Several more emigrant parties were enticed by officials fromSonorato use this route in 1853, but it was a very difficult passage with many hardships and was soon abandoned.Relief Valleyand Relief Reservoir were so named because of the assistance some emigrants received there from residents of the Sonora area.

In 1931, theUnited States Forest Servicedesignated this area for primitive management as the Emigrant Basin Primitive Area. On January 4, 1975, the Emigrant Basin Primitive Area was designated as the Emigrant Wilderness.

Dam Controversy

Since 1975, 18 small dams in the Emigrant Wilderness have been the source of an unresolved political debate. The dams were constructed by anglers who tightly stacked nearby stones and boulders. Some support proposals to maintain the dams while others feel the dams should be allowed to decay in keeping with theWilderness Act.A decision by the Stanislaus National Forest to compromise and leave some dams to naturally deteriorate while allowing maintenance of others was overturned in court in 2006, reigniting some of the controversy. The Forest Service chose not to appeal and the dams will gradually disappear.

Recreation

From Sonora Pass in the north, thePacific Crest Trailfollows a scenic route at the east edge of the Emigrant Wilderness along the high ridge past Leavitt Peak, turns further east from Kennedy Canyon to Bond Pass, and then heads south down Jack Main Canyon.
Many other trails criss-cross the Emigrant Wilderness, from Leavitt Meadow on the East side, Kennedy Meadow on the West side, and other trailheads. Highlights include cliffs in the Granite Dome area and lakes such as Emigrant Lake, Huckleberry Lake, and Lake Lertora.

Hiking June 2009

External links

• Media related toEmigrant Wilderness(category) at Wikimedia Commons
• Wilderness.net
• TopoQuest map