Hoover Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Hoover Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Inyo
and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
s. It lies to the east of the crest of the central Sierra Nevada in California
, to the north and east of Yosemite National Park
- a long strip of spectacular scenery stretching nearly to Sonora Pass on the north and Tioga Pass
on the south.
The headwaters of the East Walker River
begin in the Hoover Wilderness. It comprises 48,601 acres (197 km2). Many trails lead into it from the East, from Walker Meadow (off the Sonora Pass
road), Buckeye Creek, Green Lakes, Virginia Lakes
, Lundy Lake, and Saddlebag Lake (off the Tioga Pass road).
The Hoover Wilderness was originally designated as a Primitive Area by the Forest Service in 1931. It was named in honor of President Herbert Hoover
. In 1956, it was designated as a Wild Area and became a Wilderness Area when the 1964 Wilderness Act
was passed.
The Hoover Wilderness was the setting of Camping Adventure, a children's book published in 1976 by the National Geographic Society
.
Inyo National Forest
Inyo National Forest is a federally administered forest in the United States. The forest covers parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada of California, and the White Mountains of California and Nevada. It contains two wilderness areas: the John Muir Wilderness and the Ansel Adams Wilderness...
and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the principal U.S. National Forest located in the U.S. state of Nevada. With an area of , it is the largest National Forest of the United States outside of Alaska...
s. It lies to the east of the crest of the central Sierra Nevada in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to the north and east of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
- a long strip of spectacular scenery stretching nearly to Sonora Pass on the north and Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. State Route 120 runs through it, and serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass...
on the south.
The headwaters of the East Walker River
East Walker River
The East Walker River is a tributary of the Walker River, approximately long, in eastern California and western Nevada in the United States. It drains part of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in the watershed of Walker Lake in the Great Basin....
begin in the Hoover Wilderness. It comprises 48,601 acres (197 km2). Many trails lead into it from the East, from Walker Meadow (off the Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass is the second-highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada, lower by 321 ft. than Tioga Pass to the south. State Route 108 traverses the pass.-Description:...
road), Buckeye Creek, Green Lakes, Virginia Lakes
Virginia Lakes
Virginia Lakes refers to a cluster of lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California. Virginia Lakes is located a few miles off U.S. Highway 395; the road to the lakes turns off U.S...
, Lundy Lake, and Saddlebag Lake (off the Tioga Pass road).
The Hoover Wilderness was originally designated as a Primitive Area by the Forest Service in 1931. It was named in honor of President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
. In 1956, it was designated as a Wild Area and became a Wilderness Area when the 1964 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...
was passed.
The Hoover Wilderness was the setting of Camping Adventure, a children's book published in 1976 by the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
.
Places
Notable locations in the Hoover Wilderness include:- Twenty Lakes Basin, above Saddlebag Lake 37°59′N 119°18′W
- Virginia LakesVirginia LakesVirginia Lakes refers to a cluster of lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California. Virginia Lakes is located a few miles off U.S. Highway 395; the road to the lakes turns off U.S...
Basin 38°3′N 119°16.5′W - The Sawtooth Ridge and Matterhorn Peak 38°6′N 119°24′W