Carson-Iceberg Wilderness is temporarily closed due to the Donnell Fire.
The 161,000 acre Carson-Iceberg Wilderness straddles the crest of the Sierra Nevada range, divided almost evenly between the Stanislaus and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests. Here you’ll find spectacular high country, with several peaks rising above 10,000 feet, broad river valleys, perennial creeks with small waterfalls, granite-strewn slopes, and meadow-filled valleys. Here are the headwaters of the East Fork of the Carson River, the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus, and the Mokelumne River.
The Carson River, named for Kit Carson, and a distinctive granite formation called the Iceberg on the southern boundary give this area its name. You’ll hike often in a thick forest of pines (Jeffrey, sugar, lodgepole, western white) and firs (red and white). Lakes, fairly common on the eastern side, are few and far between on the western side. Conversely, precipitation averaging 50 inches per year on the western slopes drops to about 15 inches per year on the eastern slopes, with about 80 percent falling as snow. Snowpacks usually linger into June, but the remainder of the summer is generally dry and mild with periodic afternoon thunderstorms and nighttime temperatures that could drop below freezing any day of the year.
Congress designated the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness in 1984. Most of the area still includes cattle grazing allotments, and you will likely encounter cows or their signs from July to September. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail runs for over 26 miles within the Carson-Iceberg. About 200 total miles of foot and horse trails give access to this outstanding wilderness, where human use is moderate, especially on the eastern side.
Please take a moment to learn our wilderness regulations and review Leave No Trace methods before visiting this outstanding national resource.
MAPS:
Purchase maps at any Stanislaus National Forest Ranger Station or the Forest Service online store .
View a map of the wilderness.
View a map of trail distances in the wilderness.
Directions
GPS Coordinates
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