Dome Land Wilderness

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Dome Land Wilderness
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Dome Land Wilderness
Nearest city Ridgecrest, California
Area 130,758 acres (529.16 km²)
Governing body U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management
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The Dome Land Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 55 miles (89 km) northeast of Bakersfield, California USA. It encompasses 130,758 acres (529.16 km²) and is jointly managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM).[1]

Created by the federal Wilderness Act of 1964 and expanded in 1994 by the California Desert Protection Act which added 36,000 acres (150 km²) of BLM land to the wilderness area.[2]

Elevations range from 2,800 feet (850 m) up to 9,977 feet (3,041 m). Activities in the wilderness are cross-country skiing and snowshoing in the winter, as well as day-hiking, backbacking, fishing and rock climbing. Thw wilderness protects the southern area of the Kern Plateau with the Wild and Scenic South Fork Kern River bisecting the wilderness down the middle from north to south. The highest area of the plateau is the middle of the wilderness with large expanses of bedrock with cliffs, domes and spires that give the wilderness its name. Intersparsed with these formations are mixed conifer forests ranging from white fir and Jeffrey pine to Limber Pine and foxtail pine at the highest elevations.

The western boundary is defined by a broken granite ridge with another ridge divide at the northern boundary.Bald Mountain rises to 9,382 feet (2,860 m) on the northern divide. Large meadows occur in the wilderness and provide summer range for the Kern River deer herd and the Monarche herd as well . Other animals in the wilderness include the mountain lion, bobcat, and American black bear. A large population of rattlesnakes reside within the wilderness and visitors should use extra caution, especially in the area of the South Fork Kern River.[1]

[edit] Recreation

Extreme heat in the summer months as well as low water makes the Dome Land lightly visited until autumn, winter or spring.

There are three campgrounds near the wilderness: Long Valley, Chimney Rock and Kennedy Meadows.

The Pacific Crest Trail runs through the wilderness for seven miles (11 km) next to the South Fork Kern River. The Rockhouse Trail follows the river for another four miles (6 km). A ford across the river is required to access higher elevations in the wilderness. The trails in the wilderness traverse the variety of topography and can be accessed via 10 trailheads. The Dome Land Trail goes through the most rugged, rocky part of the wilderness.

Fishing for rainbow trout is popular at this river as well as other streams such as Manter Creek and Trout Creek.

Rock climbing in Dome Land Wilderness is possible, with seldom climbed class 5+ routes.

The Manter wildfire in July 2000 burned more than 74,000 acres (300 km²) of the wilderness. [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Adkinson, Ron Wild Northern California. The Globe Pequot Press, 2001
  2. ^ Wilderness.net website/National Wilderness Preservation System
  3. ^ Institute for Bird Populations webpage on the Manter Fire. retrieved 3/20/2008

[edit] External links