Ansel Adams Wilderness

This Wilderness is managed by:

Sierra National Forest, and
Inyo National Forest
Michael Olwyler is one of the manager’s of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Learn what motivates him here.

Additional resources can be found on:

Sierra National Forest Wilderness Pages
Inyo National Forest Wilderness Pages

This alpine wilderness, named after the renowned landscape photographer Ansel Adams, is dotted with sparkling lakes, glacially sculpted gorges, and imposing peaks and spires. Protected as wilderness by the 1964 Wilderness Act, it was first called the Minarets Wilderness. Renamed the Ansel Adams Wilderness in 1984, the wilderness spreads over 230,258 acres, ranging in altitude from about 7,000 feet to 14,000 feet.

For thousands of years this area has been inhabited by people of the Miwok, Monache, Mono, Washo, and Shoshone tribes. Acorns, pinon pine nuts, and obsidian were gathered and traded along the routes that crisscrossed this wilderness. From 1890 to 1920 cavalry soldiers travelled these same routes and blazed new ones. These troops included African-American soldiers in the years 1899, 1903 and 1904.

Water stored in the form of snow, spectacular scenery and lush meadows have made the Ansel Adams important to the local and state economy. Its meadows have been grazed by sheep and cattle, people flood to the wilderness from urban areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the San Joaquin river flows out of wilderness and through twenty-five hydroelectric powerhouses as it soaks the fertile pastures, fields, and orchards of the world’s most productive agricultural valley – the San Joaquin.

Enjoying the Ansel Adams Wilderness

Maximum Group Size

No more than 15 people and 25 head of stock are allowed on overnight trips. Why?

Wilderness Permits

Permits are required for all overnight trips. Why?

All trailheads in the Ansel Adams Wilderness now have entry quotas. Quotas apply to all overnight visitors, whether you use the services of a commercial outfitter/guide or not. Some trails have specific commercial quotas and all visitors using a commercial outfitter or guide must obtain their permit through the commercial operator. Some trails have ‘single quotas’ where all commercial and non-commercial visitors must compete for the quota space.

Bears and Food Storage

The Inyo and Sierra National Forests each have a forest order regarding proper food storage. They prohibit possessing or storing any food or refuse unless stored in a bear-proof container or in another manner designed to keep bears from gaining access to the food or refuse. In addition to this, bear canisters are required in certain areas within the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Why?

All Inyo Ranger Stations are renting both backpacker bear canisters and barrels for stock parties. Rates will be on a per trip basis, with a trip defined as 7 days or less. If your trip is longer then seven days, you would rent by the week. Backpacker canisters will be $5.00 per trip/week and the barrels will be $15.00 per trip/week. Limited canisters are available. Ranger Stations will also have bear canisters available for sale as well as many local sporting goods stores.

Campfires

Campfires are generally allowed within the Ansel Adams wilderness with exceptions. In places where fires are allowed, please make sure that you use fire rings that already exist and are at least 100 feet away from water. Avoid building new rings and use only dead and down wood. Why?

Campfires are prohibited:

• Within ¼ mile of Garnet and Thousand Island Lakes.
• Within 300 feet of the shore of Shadow Lake, and between Shadow Creek Trail and Shadow Creek from Shadow Lake to Ediza Lake outlet crossing.
• Within the Lake Ediza watershed
• Within the Minaret Lake watershed

Pets

There are special regulations pertaining to pets in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Domestic goats are not allowed and dogs mush be on physical or verbal control at all times in bighorn sheep habitat areas as a result of the recent listing of this species as Endangered. Maps of the closure areas are available to assist in planning your trip. These files are large, and are suitable for printing.

Other Considerations

Camping is prohibited in the following areas of the Ansel Adams Wilderness:

• Within ¼ mile of the outlets of Thousand Island and Garnet Lakes.
• On the south side of Lake Ediza.
• Within 300 feet of the shore of Shadow Lake.
• Between Shadow Creek Trail and Shadow Creek from Shadow Lake to Lake Ediza outlet crossing.
• Rainbow Lake for a distance of 1/4 mile from the shoreline in all directions.
• Lillian Lake for a distance of 400 feet of the shoreline from the stream flow dam northward around the shoreline for a distance of approximately 1/4 mile from the outlet.
• Cora Lake for a distance of 400 feet of the shoreline from the outlet north-ward to a point approximately 1/4 mile from the outlet.
• Sadler Lake for a distance of 400 feet of the shoreline from the junction of the Isberg and Mclure trails, northward approximately 1/4 mile.

Shuttle Bus to Reds Meadow/Agnew Meadow: All visitors accessing the recreational opportunities and activities in the Reds Meadow Valley will pay a per-person user fee which will allow use of the mandatory shuttle bus.

Contacts

Inyo National Forest
351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200
Bishop, CA 93514
(760) 873-2400
TDD (760) 873-2538

Sierra National Forest
1600 Tollhouse Road
Clovis, CA 93612
559-297-0706
TTY 559-322-4925