Mokelumne Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Mokelumne Wilderness is a 105165 acres (425.6 km²) federally designated wilderness area located 70 miles (112.7 km) east of Sacramento, California
. It is within the boundaries of three national forests: Stanislaus
, Eldorado
and Toiyabe. First protected under the Wilderness Act
of 1964, the Mokelumne’s borders were expanded under the California Wilderness Act of 1984
with the addition of 55,000 acres. The wilderness takes its name from the Mokelumne River, which was named after a Mi-wok Indian
village located on the riverbank in California's Central Valley.
The wilderness encompasses an area of the Sierra Nevada
mountain range between Ebbetts Pass
to Carson Pass
. There are two sections separated by the Blue Lakes Road and an Off-Road Vehicle corridor.
Elevations range from 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) to 10381 feet (3,164.1 m). The highest point is Round Top (10,364 feet), a remnant volcano
from which the wilderness area's volcanic soils are derived from and is located on the east side of the Sierra crest.
which has created a dramatic contrast between the volcanic and the granitic landscapes.
The wilderness protects habitat for a great variety of plants and animals especially on the slopes of Round Top, which is designated a special interest area. Plants include Ponderosa pine, canyon live oak as well as alpine vegetation of Whitebark pine
, subalpine fir, and western juniper, with western white pine
, mountain hemlock
, and lodgepole pine found in sheltered areas.
Waterways such as the North Fork of the Mokelumne River
have riparian zones of white and mountain alder, creek dogwood, western azalea and bitter cherry.
Wildlife include the black bear and mule deer
, as well as martin, bald eagle and the California spotted owl
.
), a rare plant that gets nutrients from dead material (saprophyte). The plant's common name is due to its color being all or mostly white.
The Round Top Geologic Area has more than 3000 acres (12.1 km²) within the wilderness and encompasses a variety of geological areas, including exposed granodiorite
, lava flows, dikes, glacial moraine
s and cirque
s. The landform known as Elephants Back is a rounded mass of solidified lava. Mineralization produced gold-bearing quartz veins, and relics of past gold mining activities are still present in the area.
The Mokelumne Wilderness has a variety of recreational opportunities all year. With landscapes ranging from deep canyons to alpine heights and more than two hundred ice-scoured lakes and tarn
s, fishing and hiking are popular activities as well as cross country skiing. Access is from roads surrounding the wilderness boundary with Carson Pass being the most used entry point.
The Pacific Crest Trail
, the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail and the Emigrant Summit Trail all cross through the Mokelumne Wilderness. The Emigrant Summit Trail is a designated National Recreation and Historic Trail that follows the western boundary and then passes through the wilderness from Emigrant Valley to Caples Lake.
Wilderness permits are required year-round for overnight visits.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. It is within the boundaries of three national forests: Stanislaus
Stanislaus National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest contains in four counties in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. It was established on February 22, 1897, making it one of the oldest national forests...
, Eldorado
Eldorado National Forest
Eldorado National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada mountain range, in eastern Eldorado National Forest is a [[U.S. National Forest]] located in the central [[Sierra Nevada |Sierra Nevada]] [[mountain range]], in eastern Eldorado National Forest is a [[U.S...
and Toiyabe. First protected under the Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
of 1964, the Mokelumne’s borders were expanded under the California Wilderness Act of 1984
California Wilderness Act of 1984
The California Wilderness Act of 1984 is a federal law , passed by the United States Congress on September 28, 1984, that authorized the addition of over within the state of California to the National Wilderness Preservation System....
with the addition of 55,000 acres. The wilderness takes its name from the Mokelumne River, which was named after a Mi-wok Indian
Valley and Sierra Miwok
The Plains and Sierra Miwok , were the largest group of Miwok Native American people...
village located on the riverbank in California's Central Valley.
The wilderness encompasses an area of the Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada (US)
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, between the California Central Valley and the Basin and Range Province. The Sierra runs north-to-south, and is approximately across east-to-west...
mountain range between Ebbetts Pass
Ebbetts Pass
Ebbetts Pass, named after John Ebbetts, is a high mountain pass through the Sierra Nevada range in Alpine County, California. Ebbetts is the eastern of two passes in the area traversed by State Route 4. The western pass is the Pacific Grade Summit . The pass is registered as California Historical...
to Carson Pass
Carson Pass
Carson Pass is the Sierra Crest mountain pass over which State Route 88 crosses. The historic pass was a point on the Carson Trail during the California Gold Rush and was used for American Civil War shipping to California until the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad...
. There are two sections separated by the Blue Lakes Road and an Off-Road Vehicle corridor.
Elevations range from 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) to 10381 feet (3,164.1 m). The highest point is Round Top (10,364 feet), a remnant volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
from which the wilderness area's volcanic soils are derived from and is located on the east side of the Sierra crest.
Landscape, flora and fauna
The west slopes have been eroded by glaciation and water down to the granite bedrockBedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
which has created a dramatic contrast between the volcanic and the granitic landscapes.
The wilderness protects habitat for a great variety of plants and animals especially on the slopes of Round Top, which is designated a special interest area. Plants include Ponderosa pine, canyon live oak as well as alpine vegetation of Whitebark pine
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...
, subalpine fir, and western juniper, with western white pine
Western White Pine
Western White Pine, Pinus monticola in the family Pinaceae, is a species of pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. The tree extends down to sea level in many...
, mountain hemlock
Mountain Hemlock
Tsuga mertensiana, known as Mountain Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Tulare County, California....
, and lodgepole pine found in sheltered areas.
Waterways such as the North Fork of the Mokelumne River
Mokelumne River
The Mokelumne River is a river in Northern California. The Upper Mokelumne River originates in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and flows into Pardee Reservoir and then Camanche Reservoir in the Sierra foothills. The Lower Mokelumne River refers to the portion of the river below Camanche Dam...
have riparian zones of white and mountain alder, creek dogwood, western azalea and bitter cherry.
Wildlife include the black bear and mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, as well as martin, bald eagle and the California spotted owl
Spotted Owl
The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards high and usually contain two eggs...
.
Areas of special interest
The Round Top Botanical Area is at the junction of three botanical provinces and includes red fir forest, sagebrush scrub, subalpine and alpine environments. The combination of soil types, varying exposure and elevations produce diverse plant life, such as the phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniaeCephalanthera austiniae
Cephalanthera austiniae is a species of orchid known by the common names phantom orchid and snow orchid because the entire plant is white. Native to the western United States and Canada, it is the only species of genus Cephalanthera found outside of Europe and Asia, and the only one entirely...
), a rare plant that gets nutrients from dead material (saprophyte). The plant's common name is due to its color being all or mostly white.
The Round Top Geologic Area has more than 3000 acres (12.1 km²) within the wilderness and encompasses a variety of geological areas, including exposed granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
, lava flows, dikes, glacial moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s and cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s. The landform known as Elephants Back is a rounded mass of solidified lava. Mineralization produced gold-bearing quartz veins, and relics of past gold mining activities are still present in the area.
Recreation
Tarn
Tarn is a department of 5,758 km2 in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France, named after the Tarn River. It was formed in 1790 of the three dioceses of Albi, Castres and Lavaur, belonging to the province of Languedoc. In 1906, the population was 330,533...
s, fishing and hiking are popular activities as well as cross country skiing. Access is from roads surrounding the wilderness boundary with Carson Pass being the most used entry point.
The Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
, the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail and the Emigrant Summit Trail all cross through the Mokelumne Wilderness. The Emigrant Summit Trail is a designated National Recreation and Historic Trail that follows the western boundary and then passes through the wilderness from Emigrant Valley to Caples Lake.
Wilderness permits are required year-round for overnight visits.