Emigrant Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Tuolumne County, California.
The Emigrant Wilderness extends across 112,277 acres of Stanislaus National Forest, featuring granite peaks, alpine lakes, and meadows between 5,000 and 11,570 feet elevation.
The Clark-Skidmore party made the first documented crossing through this region in 1852, establishing a route over Emigrant Pass during the California Gold Rush period.
The Sierra Miwok and Piute peoples inhabited this land for over 10,000 years, using the territory for seasonal hunting and maintaining trade networks.
Visitors access the wilderness through multiple trailheads near Pinecrest, with the Pacific Crest Trail connecting to the eastern edge of the protected area.
The area contains 18 small dams built before wilderness designation, sparking debates between preservation advocates and those supporting their maintenance.
Location: Tuolumne County
Operator: US Forest Service
Shares border with: Yosemite Wilderness, Hoover Wilderness
GPS coordinates: 38.13722,-119.72444
Latest update: May 11, 2025 07:14
Hetch Hetchy
21.8 km
O'Shaughnessy Dam
21.9 km
Stanislaus National Forest
28.4 km
Sonora Pass
22.6 km
Bennett Juniper
20.2 km
Matterhorn Peak
30.4 km
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
20.4 km
Cherry Lake
21.9 km
Hoover Wilderness
29.4 km
Wapama Falls
19.4 km
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
25.9 km
Lake Eleanor
22.3 km
Devil's Gate Pass
39.4 km
Sonora Peak
25.3 km
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness
36.9 km
Waterwheel Falls
33 km
Donnells Dam
29.9 km
Leavitt Peak
17.8 km
New Spicer Meadow Reservoir
37.1 km
Tueeulala Falls
19.8 km
Dardanelles Cone
32.4 km
Lyons Dam
39.1 km
Hetch Hetchy to Lake Vernon Trail
14.1 km
Victoria Peak
26.6 km
Leavitt Falls
24.7 km
Frog Creek Cabin
20.1 km
Cooper Cabin
14.1 km
Yosemite Wilderness
21.3 kmReviews
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