| Russian Wilderness | |
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IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
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| Location | Siskiyou County, California, Klamath National Forest |
| Nearest city | Eureka, California |
| Area | 12,700 acres (51 km2) |
| Governing body | United States Forest Service / Department of Agriculture |
The Russian Wilderness is a wilderness area of 12,000 acres (49 km2) located approximately 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Eureka in northern California.[1] It is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County and is managed by the US Forest Service. It was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System when the US Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984.
The Russian Wilderness protects a portion of the high crest of the Salmon Mountains, which are composed of metamorphic and granitic rock. There are over twenty named lakes at different elevation levels as well as the major watersheds of the Scott River and North Fork Salmon River.
The Russian is one of three wilderness areas that form an almost continuous chain, from the Trinity Alps Wilderness to the south, and the Marble Mountain Wilderness in the north, these areas provide an important corridor for wildlife such as the migrating herds of black-tailed deer. The Russian Wilderness is part of the largest nearly roadless complex in northwestern California.[2]
Elevations range from 2,500 feet (760 m)[2] to the high point of the wilderness, Russian Peak, at 8,196 feet (2,498 m) [].[3]
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There are several stands of conifers that are rare for California, including subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce in the wilderness. A very high concentration of conifer diversity grows in the drainages around Russian Peak. Here, 17 species in one square mile can be found—over steep and varied terrain.[4] Other rare conifers include the endemic Brewer spruce and foxtail pine. Rare perennials include the Siskiyou fireweed (Epilobium siskiyouense), and several types of lousewort (Pedicularis). The rare annual Siskiyou phacelia ( Phacelia leonis), was observed by John O. Sawyer and J. Smith in 1988.[5] Siskiyou phacelia has bell-shaped blue-purple flowers, blooms in summer, and grows in serpentine soils.
The wilderness protects habitats for deer, black bear, mountain lion, the Northern spotted owl and peregrine falcon and is of national significance for the great diversity of plant species found here.[6]
The wilderness is dominated by glacier-carved granite crags, dating from the Mesozoic, similar to the Sierra Nevada.[2] This results in similar surface topography, including cirques and U-shaped glacial valleys. Similar to the Ritter Range, a chain of dark metavolcanic rock is dominant in the mountains along the edge of the wilderness.[2]
The Pacific Crest Trail travels 18.5 miles (29.8 km) along the Salmon Mountain crest. The Bigfoot Trail passes through the wilderness for 5 miles (8.0 km) where it crosses the Salmon Mountain crest, from Syphon Lake to Russian Creek. Because of the small size of the wilderness, visitors can reach the highlights in less than two hours of hiking or horseback riding.[2] Ski and snowshoe trips are possible with four cirque (glacial lake) basins providing good telemark skiing.[2] Major drainages are the North Fork Salmon and Scott rivers and have populations of rainbow trout and steelhead salmon.
There are three separate units totaling 16,800 acres (68 km2) adjacent to the wilderness.[2] These roadless areas have stands of old growth forests of oak and madrone growing in a terrain of glacially modified landscape, with U-shaped valleys and granite crags.