CalEON.org - links - Parks, Preserves and Wilderness Areas

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	Berkeley Natural History Museums (BNHM)	John Muir Institute
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Online Resources:

Fieldstations

Departments and Research Groups

Federal and State Agencies, Regional Organizations

Parks, Preserves and Wilderness Areas

Taxonomic Organizations and Museums

Catalogs, Search Engines, Databases and Others

National Forest Service lands

National, BLM, USFWS, FS Parks

County Parks & Open Space Trusts

State Parks, Nature Conservancy & Others

This list of online resources is duplicated with permission from the California Biodiversity Center

Biodiversity Links #4.2 - Parks, reserves and Wilderness Areas in California
Part One - National Parks, BLM, Forest Service, USGS, NOAA etc

All parks and open spaces are listed except small urban parks in towns and cities.
The list does not include University Field Stations (these are listed here).
The list does not include State Historic Parks or State Vehicular Recreation Areas,
Some resources may appear under more than one heading when they have transferred ownership or administration or are jointly owned or administered

Send all comments and corrections to John Latto

Use the following shortcuts to go to the main sections:

National Park Service
Bureau of Land Management
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Forest Servive
NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
*National Parks*
Channel Islands National Park	Comprised of five in a chain of eight southern California islands near Los Angeles, Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources.
Death Valley National Park	Death Valley is a land of extremes. It is one of the hottest places on the surface of the Earth with summer temperatures averaging well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Joshua Tree National Park	The Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the Joshua tree.
Lassen Volcanic National Park	Although Lassen is primarily known for its volcanic geology, the park boasts a rich diversity of plant and animal life.
Redwood National and State Parks	Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. The parks' mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks contain big trees, high peaks, and deep canyons. Far below the surface are over 200 marble caverns, many with endemic cave fauna. This huge variation in the landscape contributes to the collage of habitats that create a rich assemblage of terrestrial, aquatic and subterranean ecosystems.
Yosemite National Park	Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, and biological diversity.
Devils Postpile National Monument	Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot Rainbow Falls, and the pristine mountain scenery.
Lava Beds National Monument	The lava tube collapse systems and lava outcrops support a great diversity of plant life, from an impressive variety of lichens, mosses and plants.
Muir Woods National Monument	Until the 1800's, many northern California coastal valleys were covered with coast redwood trees similar to those now found in Muir Woods National Monument.
Pinnacles National Monument	The Monument’s geologic formations, showcase chaparral habitat, finely intergraded ecosystems, and protected native plant and animal diversity.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area	Golden Gate National Recreation Area is rich in natural resources—it is comprised of 19 separate ecosystems in 7 distinct watersheds and is home to 1,273 plant and animal species.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area	The Santa Monica Mountains are one of the last remaining examples of a relatively undisturbed Mediterranean-type ecosystem in the world. A unique climate, diverse topography, and other factors create a complex assemblage of vegetation types
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area	Whiskeytown Lake provides 36 miles of shoreline and 3200 surface acres of water.
Mojave National Preserve	Plant and animal life varies by elevation. Desert tortoises burrow in creosote bush flats, while the black and yellow Scott’s oriole nests in Joshua trees higher up the slopes. Mule deer and bighorn sheep roam among pinyon pine and juniper in the Preserve’s many mountain ranges.
Point Reyes National Seashore	Point Reyes National Seashore contains unique elements of biological and historical interest in a spectacularly scenic panorama of thunderous ocean breakers, open grasslands, bushy hillsides and forested ridges.
*Wilderness*
Ansel Adams Wilderness	231,005	1964
Death Valley Wilderness	3,253,028	1994
Joshua Tree Wilderness	557,802	1976
Lassen Volcanic Wilderness	78,982	1972
Lava Beds Wilderness	28,460	1972
Mojave Wilderness	695,200	1994
Phillip Burton Wilderness	25,952	1976
Pinnacles Wilderness	15,985	1976
Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness	736,980	1984
Yosemite Wilderness	704,624	1984
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
*National Monuments and National Conservation Areas*
Carrizo Plain National Monument	Designated by Presidential Proclamation in January, 2001 the Carrizo Plain National Monument is a place by-passed by time. Soda Lake, its centerpiece, is a glistening bed of white salt, set within a vast open grassland, rimmed by steep mountains.
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument	Created by congressional legislation signed by the President on October 24, 2000. Located in Riverside County, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument encompasses more than 272,000 acres in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains.
California Coastal National Monument	Designated by Presidential Proclamation on January 11, 2000, the California Coastal National Monument includes all islands, rocks, exposed reefs and pinnacles off the California coast above the high water mark that are owned by all Americans and have not already been appropriated for other uses.
California Desert NCA	Designated by Congress in 1976, the 9,500,000 acres of the California Desert Conservation Area feature vast desert areas with myriad wildlife and recreation opportunities.
The King Range NCA	Designated by Congress in 1970, the King Range National Conservation Area is a 60,000-acre area including 35 miles of remote coastline known as California's Lost Coast.
“Black Rock – High Rock” NCA	The Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area was designated by Congress December, 2000 to preserve resources along the last nationally-significant segments of a trail used by California settlers.
*Wild and Scenic Rivers*
North Fork American	Cliffs tower 2,000 feet above clear green streams smashing a path through rapids choked with boulders. Heaps of mine tailings and old cabin ruins border the course of North Fork of the American River through the historic Mother Lode
Eel	The three forks of the Eel River contain a diversity of river types originating in high mountain pine forests, flowing through steep canyons and coastal redwood forests, and emptying into the Pacific in a valley with virgin redwood stands.
Klamath	The Klamath River is one of only three rivers that bisect the Cascade Mountain Range, flowing from the high-desert interior through coastal rain forest to the Pacific Ocean.
Merced	From the high country of Yosemite National Park, the Merced River runs through glacially-carved canyons, rugged mountains and foothills to the San Joaquin Valley.
Trinity	The Trinity River is a major tributary of California's Klamath River and is located in heavily forested, mountainous terrain. The Trinity is noted for its salmon and steelhead fishery resources.
Tuolumne	The headwaters of the Tuolumne River begin at 13,000 feet in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains. As the river gathers strength, it carves out deep canyons.
*Forest Preserves*
Headwaters Forest Preserve	The Headwaters Forest Reserve is co-managed by the BLM and the State of California to protect the stands of old-growth redwoods that provide habitat for the threatened seabird, the marbled murrelet, and the headwaters that serve as a habitat for the threatened coho salmon and other fisheries.
*Wilderness*
There are 76 Wilderness areas and 77 Wilderness Study Areas in CA administered by the Bureau of Land Management. View by map or listing. Another listing here.
	Size in Acres
Argus Range	62,037
Big Maria Mountains	45,272
Bigelow Cholla Garden	13,517
Bighorn Mountain	26,702
Black Mountain	20,550
Bright Star	7,839
Bristol Mountains	69,976
Cadiz Dunes	19,278
Carrizo Gorge	14,607
Chemehuevi Mountains	85,556
Chimney Peak	13,017
Chuckwalla Mountains	84,473
Cleghorn Lakes	32,860
Clipper Mountain	33,855
Coso Range	49,307
Coyote Mountains	18,574
Darwin Falls	7,937
Dead Mountains	46,640
Domeland	38,346
East Fork High Rock Canyon	52,617
El Paso Mountains	23,681
Fish Creek Mountains	20,575
Funeral Mountains	25,696
Golden Valley	36,499
Grass Valley	29,951
High Rock Canyon	46,464
Hollow Hills	22,024
Ibex	28,798
Indian Pass	31,922
Inyo Mountains	172,020
Ishi	240
Jacumba	31,171
Kelso Dunes	144,173
Kiavah	37,562
Kingston Range	199,310
Little High Rock Canyon	48,353
Little Chuckwalla Mountains	27,331
Little Picacho	38,052
Machesna Mountain	120
Malpais Mesa	32,036
Manly Peak	13,151
Mecca Hills	26,016
Mesquite	44,815
Newberry Mountains	20,308
Nopah Range	106,506
North Algodones Dunes	25,811
North Mesquite Mountains	28,915
Old Woman Mountains	162,688
Orocopia Mountains	45,878
Otay Mountain	16,885
Owens Peak	71,271
Pahrump Valley	72,468
Palen/McCoy	212,533
Palo Verde Mountains	29,149
Picacho Peak	8,828
Piper Mountain	71,248
Piute Mountains	47,952
Resting Spring Range	76,249
Rice Valley	41,536
Riverside Mountains	23,959
Rodman Mountains	29,793
Sacatar Trail	49,765
Saddle Peak Hills	1,528
San Gorgonio	37,938
Santa Lucia	1,893
Santa Rosa	56,322
Sawtooth Mountains	32,125
Sheephole Valley	186,432
South Nopah Range	17,028
Stateline	7,003
Stepladder Mountains	83,337
Surprise Canyon	23,864
Sylvania Mountains	18,688
Trilobite	29,588
Trinity Alps	4,464
Turtle Mountains	176,712
Ventana Additions	736
Whipple Mountains	75,785
Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel	7,125
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
*National Wildlife Refuges*
Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge
Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
Delevan National Wildlife Refuge
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge
Farallon National Wildlife Refuge
Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Kern National Wildlife Refuge
Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge
Pixley National Wildlife Refuge
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge
San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex
San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex
San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Sutter National Wildlife Refuge
Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge
Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Willow Creek Lurline Wildlife Management Area
*Wilderness*
Farallon Wilderness	At 141 acres the Farallons are the smallest California Wilderness. Because of their delicate ecological structure they remain off-limits to most visitors.
Havasu Wilderness	The Havasu Wilderness is rich in wildlife including cranes, rails, herons, egrets, falcons, eagles, bighorn sheep, coyotes, porcupines, foxes, bobcats, the endangered desert tortoise and the poisonous Gila monster.
Imperial Refuge Wilderness	The 25,765 acres of the refuge stretch along 30 miles on both sides of the river in Arizona and California. A portion of the refuge in Arizona was designated Wilderness in 1994, followed by a piece of the California side.
FOREST SERVICE
*National Forests*
Angeles National Forest	650,000	Much of the Forest is covered with dense chaparral which changes to pine and fir-covered slopes at higher elevations
Cleveland National Forest	460,000	The wild shrub and tree-covered mountains are remnants of a landscape that at one time covered most of southern California
Eldorado National Forest	596,724	The principle vegetative types found on the Forest are woodland, chaparral, mixed conifer, true fir, and subalpine.
Inyo National Forest	>2,000,000	The Inyo National Forest is home to Mt. Whitney, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes Basin, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Klamath National Forest	1,700,000	With elevations that range from 900 to 9,000 feet above sea level, the Forest is truly one of America’s most biologically diverse regions
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Area	150,000	The name of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit reflects a unique sort of National Forest, as unique as the resources of the Tahoe Basin.
Lassen National Forest	1,200,000	Here the granite of the Sierra Nevada, the lava of the Cascades and the Modoc Plateau, and the sagebrush of the Great Basin meet and blend.
Los Padres National Forest	~2,000,000	Ecosystems in Los Padres National Forest range from semi-desert in interior areas to redwood forest on the coast.
Mendocino National Forest	913,306	The only one of California's 18 national Forests not crossed by a paved road or highway,
Modoc National Forest	1,979,407	The Modoc National Forest offers mountains, pine forests and meadows, lakes, streams, rugged canyons, wetlands, lava beds and high desert plateaus.
Plumas National Forest	1,146,000	The Plumas National forest is versatile in its land features, uncrowded, and enhanced by a pleasant climate.
San Bernardino National Forest		The San Bernardino National Forest ranges from desert floor to alpine peakscontaining both flowering cactus and eagles soaring above tall pines.
Sequoia National Forest		Soaring granite monoliths, glacier-torn canyons, roaring whitewater, and more await your discovery at the Sierra Nevada's southern end.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest	2,100,000	Elevations range from 1,000 feet along the southern and eastern edges of the Forest to 14,162 feet at the summit of Mt. Shasta.
Sierra National Forest	1,300,000	The terrain includes rolling, oak-covered foothills, heavily forested middle elevation slopes and the starkly beautiful alpine landscape of the High Sierra.
Six Rivers National Forest	957,590	The Forest incorporates extensive stands of conifers in rugged, mountainous settings and grassy glades in the southern half.
Stanislaus National Forest		The Stanislaus National Forest contains, sandy beach, cold clear streams and gorgeous lakes.
Tahoe National Forest		Common tree species on the forest include Incense Cedar, Ponderosa Pine, Jeffrey Pine, Sugar Pine, Grey Pine, Foxtail Pine, Douglas Fir and Giant Sequoia.
*Wilderness*
Agua Tibia Wilderness	15,933	1975
Ansel Adams Wilderness	231,005	1964
Bighorn Mountain Wilderness	38,502	1994
Bucks Lake Wilderness	23,958	1984
Caribou Wilderness	20,546	1964
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness	161,181	1984
Castle Crags Wilderness	8,627	1984
Chanchelulla Wilderness	8,200	1984
Chumash Wilderness	38,150	1992
Cucamonga Wilderness	12,781	1964
Desolation Wilderness	63,475	1969
Dick Smith Wilderness	67,800	1984
Dinkey Lakes Wilderness	30,000	1984
Domeland Wilderness	130,081	1964
Emigrant Wilderness	112,277	1975
Garcia Wilderness	14,100	1992
Golden Trout Wilderness	303,511	1978
Granite Chief Wilderness	19,048	1984
Hauser Wilderness	7,547	1984
Hoover Wilderness	48,601	1964
Inyo Mountains Wilderness	245,320	1994
Ishi Wilderness	41,339	1984
Jennie Lakes Wilderness	10,289	1984
John Muir Wilderness	580,323	1964
Kaiser Wilderness	22,700	1976
Kiavah Wilderness	80,580	1994
Machesna Mountain Wilderness	19,880	1984
Marble Mountain Wilderness	241,744	1964
Matilija Wilderness	29,600	1992
Mokelumne Wilderness	99,161	1964
Monarch Wilderness	44,896	1984
Mt. Shasta Wilderness	33,845	1984
North Fork Wilderness	7,999	1984
Pine Creek Wilderness	13,480	1984
Red Buttes Wilderness	19,940	1984
Russian Wilderness	12,000	1984
San Gabriel Wilderness	36,118	1968
San Gorgonio Wilderness	94,664	1964
San Jacinto Wilderness	32,248	1964
San Mateo Canyon Wilderness	38,484	1984
San Rafael Wilderness	197,380	1968
Santa Lucia Wilderness	20,412	1978
Santa Rosa Wilderness	70,132	1984
Sespe Wilderness	219,700	1992
Sheep Mountain Wilderness	41,883	1984
Silver Peak Wilderness	31,555	1992
Siskiyou Wilderness	152,680	1984
Snow Mountain Wilderness	36,370	1984
South Sierra Wilderness	60,084	1984
South Warner Wilderness	70,614	1964
Thousand Lakes Wilderness	16,335	1964
Trinity Alps Wilderness	502,764	1984
Ventana Wilderness	240,024	1969
Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness	153,841	1964
NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES (Administered by NOAA)
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary	In 1980, a 1,252-square-nautical-mile portion of the Santa Barbara Channel was given a special protected status with the designation of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary is an area of national significance because of its exceptional natural beauty and resources.
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary	The Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary was established in 1989 to protect and preserve the extraordinary ecosystem, including marine birds, mammals, and other natural resources of Cordell Bank and its surrounding waters.
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary	The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects an area of 948 square nautical miles (1,255 square miles) off the northern and central California coast.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS)	The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a Federally protected marine area offshore of California's central coast. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the MBNMS encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles and 5,322 square miles of ocean.

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