South Sierra Wilderness

Created with the passage of the California Wilderness Act of 1984 by the U.S. Congress, the South Sierra Wilderness is {{convert|62700|acre|km2}}[http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=acreage&WID=569 Wilderness.net acreage data] in size. It is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and within Sequoia National Forest and Inyo National Forest.

The South Sierra Wilderness is the southernmost Forest Service-managed section of a continuous chain of wilderness areas protecting the Sierra Nevada crest from Walker Pass to Lake Tahoe.

Elevations range from about {{convert|6100|ft|m|-2}} near Kennedy Meadows, up to {{convert|12132|ft|m|0}} at Olancha Peak.{{cite ngs|id=GT1820 |name=Olancha |access-date=2009-07-02}} The Wild and Scenic South Fork of the Kern River bisects the wilderness on the east side, in a north–south direction.

Wildlife includes the large Monache mule deer herd, the sensitive Sierra Nevada red fox, pine martens, mountain lions, and American black bears.

{{See also|List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)}}

Two very different landscapes with distinct habitats are protected within the South Sierra Wilderness:

• The southern portion is the lower Kern Plateau landform, with low, forested ridges, narrow meadows, and woodlands of Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), red fir (Abies magnifica) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta).
• The northern portion is more mountainous, and includes the alpine flora of Olancha Peak and Round Mountain.

Rare California native plants observed in the area are Kern ceanothus (Ceanothus pinetorum), a locally endemic shrub found on slopes in pine and red fir forests, at elevations between {{convert|5000|and|9000|ft|m}}. Ceanothus pinetorum is not currently state or federally listed under the Endangered Species Act, but is considered by the California Native Plant Society as "uncommon enough that their status should be monitored regularly".{{cite web|url=http://www.cnps.org/cnps/rareplants/ranking.php |title=List 4: A Watch List |work=The CNPS Ranking System |publisher=California Native Plant Society (CNPS) |access-date=2009-07-09}}

Rare wildflowers include Kern Canyon clarkia (Clarkia xantiana ssp. parviflora) and goosefoot yellow violet (Viola pinetorum ssp. grisea), both are also endemic to California.

Recreational activities include backpacking, day hiking, fishing, rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing and snowshoeing. The majority of trail users are summer grazing allotment permittees, and autumn hunters.

There are six trailheads leading into the wilderness, and one campground, Kennedy Meadows, providing access to:

• the Pacific Crest Trail.
• the Wildrose Trail — {{convert|9|mi|km}} in length and travels through pinyon pine forests.
• the Olancha Pass Trail — starts at the Sage Flat Trailhead on the eastside and is {{convert|6|mi|km|spell=in}} in length.

• Flora of the Sierra Nevada
• Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada
• Fauna of the Sierra Nevada

{{Reflist}}

Adkinson, Ron Wild Northern California, The Globe Pequot Press, 2001

{{Commons category|South Sierra Wilderness}}

• [http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/index.shtml Inyo National Forest section on wilderness areas.]
• [http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/recreation/wilderness.html Sequoia National Forest wilderness areas.]

{{Protected Areas of California|NF}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Wilderness areas of California

Category:Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada (United States)

Category:Inyo National Forest

Category:Sequoia National Forest

Category:Protected areas of Inyo County, California

Category:Protected areas of Tulare County, California

Category:IUCN Category Ib

Category:1984 establishments in California

Category:Protected areas established in 1984