San Gabriel Wilderness, Protected wilderness within Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County, United States.

The San Gabriel Wilderness covers more than 36,118 acres within the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. It lies on the southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains, between the Angeles Crest and the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. Bear Creek Trail, about 11 miles long, crosses Smith Mountain Saddle into the designated wilderness; the Mt. Waterman Trail runs ten miles from Three Points to Buckhorn.

President Benjamin Harrison established this as a protected reserve in 1892, following advocacy from conservationists John Muir and Abbot Kinney who recognized the need to protect forest lands. This early designation reflected a growing movement in the United States to preserve natural areas.

The name Devils Canyon-Bear Canyon Primitive Area, used before the 1968 wilderness designation, survives in the Devil's Canyon and Bear Creek trails that still lead into the backcountry. Visitors today walk these routes on foot or horseback; mountain bikes and wheeled equipment are barred, and trail crews finish cut limbs and bury sawdust so the work looks natural.

Several trail entrances provide access to different parts of the area, each with varying difficulty levels based on the chosen route. It is wise to start early in the day and bring plenty of water and a map, as cell service is unreliable in the mountains.

Maintenance teams use only hand tools rather than mechanical equipment to preserve natural conditions in the wilderness. This careful approach means trails develop slowly, but the landscape remains undamaged by heavy machinery.