Recreation Activities
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness
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History | Protection
| Permits | Recreation
| Travel | Trip Planning
| Grazing | Mining
| Map
The 160,000 acre Carson-Iceberg
Wilderness straddles the crest of the central Sierra
Nevada, within the Stanislaus and Toiyabe
National Forests. This area lies within portions of
Tuolumne and Alpine County and is bordered by State
Highway 108 on the south and State Highway 4 on the north.
Watersheds drain to the Stanislaus River on the west
slope and the Carson River on the east slope. The name
Carson-Iceberg is derived from two prominent geographical
features: the Carson River (named for noted scout and
explorer Kit Carson) and the distinctive granite
formation called "The Iceberg" on the southern
boundary near Clark Fork Road. The Carson-Iceberg Wilderness is
a rugged landscape of great scenic beauty. Much of the
area is dominated by volcanic ridges and peaks. Prominent
in the southwestern portion are the Dardanelles. There
are many streams flowing through deep granitic canyons
but few lakes. Elevations range from about 5000 feet near
Donnell Reservoir to 11,462 feet at Sonora Peak. From
some vantage points one can view vast desert to the east
and dense conifer forest to the west. Precipitation
averages 50 inches annually on the west slope and as
little as 15 inches on the east slope, 80 percent of it
in the form of snow. Snow packs typically linger into June,
sometimes later following very wet winters. Summers are
generally dry and mild, but afternoon thundershowers
occur periodically and nighttime temperatures may dip
below freezing anytime.
History
Various Native
Americans inhabited the area for 10,000 years. The most
recent inhabitants, the Me Wuk from the west slope and
the Washoe of the Great Basin, spent the warmer months
hunting in the high country and trading with each other.
In 1827, Jedediah Smith and fellow trappers crossed from
east to west somewhere near Ebbetts Pass. The earliest
emigrant crossing in the Carson-Iceberg area was in 1841
by the Bartleson-Bidwell party, just north of Sonora Pass.
Following the discovery of gold in 1848 and the
subsequent increase in population, native cultures
quickly declined. As this new population became more
established, sheep and cattle grazing became the major
use of this area. Grazing continues to this day, but
recreation has now become the dominant use.
Protection
The Wilderness Act of 1964 established a
National Wilderness Preservation System "to secure
for the American people of present and future generations
the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness."
The Carson-Iceberg Wilderness became part of the National
Wilderness Preservation System with passage of the
California Wilderness Act of 1984. Various human uses,
such as recreation, grazing, and mining, are allowed by
the Wilderness Act, but all activities will be managed or
carried out subordinate to the higher purpose of
maintaining wilderness values. These overriding values
are 1) outstanding opportunities for solitude and 2) the
ability of natural processes to operate free of human
influence.
Permits
A Wilderness Visitor's Permit
is required for overnight visits to the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. Only one permit is
required for trips which are continuous and pass through
more than one Wilderness. Group sizes are limited to 15
people and 25 pack and saddle stock. One permit is
required per trip per group. If you have a larger group
than is permitted, reduce the number of people, split the
group to visit different areas, or visit an area which
permits larger numbers. You are not permitted to camp or
travel within one mile of a related group.
Recreation
Management of visitors and their impacts is especially
important for preserving the naturalness and solitude
that distinguish wilderness from other settings. Those
people who use the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness visit
primarily from June through September. Most use is
concentrated around the few lakes found in the Wilderness.
By applying no-trace camping skills, visitors can
minimize the impact of recreational use on the wilderness
environment. Information about "leave no trace"
skills can be found on wilderness permit attachments and
is posted at trailheads.
Travel
There are
approximately 195 miles of trails in the Wilderness.
Travel is restricted to foot or horseback. Mechanized transportation of
any kind, including bicycles, is prohibited. Major trailheads on the
Stanislaus portion are Wheat's Meadow, County Line, Arnot Creek,
Disaster Creek, and Clark Fork on the Summit Ranger District (Highway
108) and Silver Valley (Lake Alpine), Stanislaus Meadow, Mosquito Lakes, Pacific Valley, and Highland Lakes on the Calaveras Ranger District
(Highway 4).
Carson-Iceberg
Wilderness Trail Distances Map
For guide services and saddle and pack stock
contact:
Always be prepared for
cold and wet weather!
Trip Planning
Wilderness permits
are required for overnight camping. Forest and Wilderness
maps can be purchased at any Stanislaus
National Forest office or from from the
National Forest Store. You
may also find the following useful:
- Carson-Iceberg Wilderness; Jeffrey P. Schaffer;
Wilderness Press
- Sierra North; Thomas Winnett; Wilderness Press
- The Tahoe-Yosemite Trail; Winnett and Denison;
Wilderness Press
Grazing
Livestock grazing
first came to the high country in the 1860's. The
Wilderness Act allows grazing to continue where it was an
established practice before the area was designated as
Wilderness. There are ten grazing allotments (nine cattle,
one sheep) in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. Grazing
management plans specify animal numbers and length of
time in each feed area. Gates and drift fences control
livestock movement to prevent overgrazing and to reduce
conflicts with Wilderness visitors. Please help by
keeping gates closed.
Mining
Under the Wilderness
Act, mineral rights established prior to December 31,
1983, will remain, subject to constraints on exploration
and mining to protect surface resources. There are few
claims in this Wilderness and no mining activity at the
present time.
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