Jennie Lakes Wilderness
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| Jennie Lakes Wilderness | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area) | |
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| Location | Tulare County, California |
| Nearest city | Fresno |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 10,556 acres |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | US Forest Service |
Jennie Lakes Wilderness is a protected area of about nine square miles established by the California Wilderness Act of 1984[1] and added to the National Wilderness Preservation System.
It is located 60 miles (97 km) east of Fresno, in the state of California and managed by the US Forest Service.
Elevations range from 6,640 feet to 10,365 feet at Mitchell Peak.
Recreational activities include day hiking, backpacking, horsepacking, fishing, and cross-country skiing.
Jennie Lakes Wilderness is situated immediately north of Sequoia National Park and west of Kings Canyon National Park. The wilderness area is bisected by the 1,000 foot deep Boulder Creek canyon. The eastern half is a high plateau bounded by a ridge and the western half is dominated by Shell Mountain (9,594 feet) as well as Weaver Lake.
There are six lakes within the wilderness, with Jennie Lake the largest and highest in elevation at 9,000 feet. Boulder Creek flows from Jennie Lake and is a major tributary to the South Fork Kings River. Stony Creek begins south of Shell Mountain and flows into the North Fork Kaweah River.
Red fir and lodgepole pine are the primary forest cover with granitic outcroppings typical of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Black bears are common in the area.
There are four trailheads providing access with Big Meadows and Stony Creek the most heavily used. Jennie Lakes Wilderness is also a portal into the backcountry of Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. Visitors are encouraged to use Leave No Trace wilderness travel ethics to protect the environment.
[edit] References
Adkinson, Ron Wild Northern California. The Globe Pequot Press, 2001
