Monarch Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Monarch Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 70 miles east of Fresno, California
, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It encompasses 44896 acres (181.7 km²) within both the Sequoia National Forest
and the Sierra National Forest
and is managed by the United States Forest Service
. Elevations range from 950 feet (289.6 m) to 11081 ft (3,377.5 m).
Formerly known as the High Sierra Primitive Area, the California Wilderness Act of 1984
created the Monarch Wilderness and became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System
.
Adjacent to the wilderness are several roadless areas: Kings Range Special Management Area (SMA), Agnew Roadless Area and the Oat Mountain Roadless Area. The name Monarch Wilderness Complex includes the wilderness proper and these adjacent lands for a total size of 114347 acres (462.7 km²).
The wilderness portion is separated into north and south units by the corridor of State Route 180
. The larger northern half has the South and Middle Forks of the Kings River
. The Middle Fork is a rugged area with a steep gorge
about 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) deep. From the river the Tombstone Ridge rises to an elevation of 9071 feet (2,764.8 m) at the summit of The Obelisk. Major tributaries
in the north unit are Tombstone Creek and Silver Creek. Also in the north unit is the Monarch Divide, crowned by peaks such as Wren Peak (9450 ft or 2,880 m), Mount Harrington (11009 ft or 3,356 m), and an unnamed high point summit at 11081 ft (3,377.5 m). The lowest and highest elevations in the north unit are separated by as much as 8700 feet (2,651.8 m) of relief
.
The south unit was formerly a part of the Agnew Roadless Area and contains groves of Giant Sequoia
including the Agnew Grove which is one of the few groves in the Sierra outside the boundaries of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness.
Native species of rare plants include Congdon's lewisia
(Lewisia congdonii), state-listed as rare in 1982 and the Tehipite Valley jewelflower
(Streptanthus fenestratus). Also the woollyhead lessingia
(Lessingia hololeuca) and Hall's daisy
(Erigeron aequifolius), both of the Aster family.
established the Kings River Special Management Area (SMA) in 1987 (Pub. L. 100-150) to "provide for public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment...to protect those areas' natural, archaeological, and scenic resources, and to provide for appropriate fish and wildlife management...". The SMA is managed by the Sierra National Forest which can limit certain uses of the area, such as timber cutting
, hunting and fishing. There is no mining
allowed within the SMA. A management plan is required that includes a provision for "management of vegetation within the area designed to enhance the wildlife carrying capacity
of the area." The law does not change existing off-road vehicle
management rules, but does require the establishment of a trail into Little Tehipite Valley.
The special management area is located at the confluence of the Kings River and the North Fork, and protects the deepest part of the Kings Canyon
as well as stands of Giant Sequoia (the Cabin Creek and Converse Mountain Groves), the world's largest trees, and important wintering ranges for the Monarch and Hume deer herds. The SMA provides habitat for deer, black bear
, coyote
, marten
, gray fox
and a variety of birds. Bat
s are common in the limestone cave
s in the southeast portion of the SMA.
, backpacking
, nature photography
and whitewater rafting are some of the activities in the wilderness. The north unit requires permit
s for overnight use. The main trail in this area is the 9-mile Deer Cove Trail which provides access to the Monarch Divide.
The south unit of the wilderness in Sequoia National Forest does not require permits and has three trailheads and three main trails into the wilderness. The Kanawyer Trail is 12 miles (19.3 km) in length and goes to Sequoia National Park
to the west.
The SMA unit contains numerous waterfall
s and pools of the Kings Canyon. The three-mile-long (5 km) Kings River National Recreation Trail provides access up-canyon along the river.
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It encompasses 44896 acres (181.7 km²) within both the Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest....
and the Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located on the western slope of central Sierra Nevada in the state of California. The forest is known for its mountain scenery and natural resources. Forest headquarters are located in Clovis, California...
and is managed by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. Elevations range from 950 feet (289.6 m) to 11081 ft (3,377.5 m).
Formerly known as the High Sierra Primitive Area, the California Wilderness Act of 1984
California Wilderness Act of 1984
The California Wilderness Act of 1984 is a federal law , passed by the United States Congress on September 28, 1984, that authorized the addition of over within the state of California to the National Wilderness Preservation System....
created the Monarch Wilderness and became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System
National Wilderness Preservation System
The National Wilderness Preservation System of the United States protects federally managed land areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964...
.
Adjacent to the wilderness are several roadless areas: Kings Range Special Management Area (SMA), Agnew Roadless Area and the Oat Mountain Roadless Area. The name Monarch Wilderness Complex includes the wilderness proper and these adjacent lands for a total size of 114347 acres (462.7 km²).
The wilderness portion is separated into north and south units by the corridor of State Route 180
California State Route 180
State Route 180 is a state highway in California, United States, which runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Mendota through Fresno to Kings Canyon National Park, with an unbuilt segment defined west to Paicines....
. The larger northern half has the South and Middle Forks of the Kings River
Kings River (California)
The Kings River is a major river of south-central California. About long, it drains an area of the high western Sierra Nevada and the Central Valley. A large alluvial fan has formed where the river's gradient decreases in the Central Valley so the river divides into distributaries...
. The Middle Fork is a rugged area with a steep gorge
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
about 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) deep. From the river the Tombstone Ridge rises to an elevation of 9071 feet (2,764.8 m) at the summit of The Obelisk. Major tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
in the north unit are Tombstone Creek and Silver Creek. Also in the north unit is the Monarch Divide, crowned by peaks such as Wren Peak (9450 ft or 2,880 m), Mount Harrington (11009 ft or 3,356 m), and an unnamed high point summit at 11081 ft (3,377.5 m). The lowest and highest elevations in the north unit are separated by as much as 8700 feet (2,651.8 m) of relief
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
.
The south unit was formerly a part of the Agnew Roadless Area and contains groves of Giant Sequoia
Sequoiadendron
Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...
including the Agnew Grove which is one of the few groves in the Sierra outside the boundaries of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness.
Native species of rare plants include Congdon's lewisia
Lewisia congdonii
Lewisia congdonii, known by the common name Congdon's lewisia, is a rare species of flowering plant in the purslane family.-Description:...
(Lewisia congdonii), state-listed as rare in 1982 and the Tehipite Valley jewelflower
Streptanthus fenestratus
Streptanthus fenestratus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Tehipite Valley jewelflower.-Distribution:...
(Streptanthus fenestratus). Also the woollyhead lessingia
Lessingia hololeuca
Lessingia hololeuca is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name woollyhead lessingia.-Distribution:...
(Lessingia hololeuca) and Hall's daisy
Erigeron aequifolius
Erigeron aequifolius is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Hall's daisy and Hall's fleabane.-Distribution:...
(Erigeron aequifolius), both of the Aster family.
Kings River Special Management Area
The United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
established the Kings River Special Management Area (SMA) in 1987 (Pub. L. 100-150) to "provide for public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment...to protect those areas' natural, archaeological, and scenic resources, and to provide for appropriate fish and wildlife management...". The SMA is managed by the Sierra National Forest which can limit certain uses of the area, such as timber cutting
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, hunting and fishing. There is no mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
allowed within the SMA. A management plan is required that includes a provision for "management of vegetation within the area designed to enhance the wildlife carrying capacity
Carrying capacity
The carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment...
of the area." The law does not change existing off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
management rules, but does require the establishment of a trail into Little Tehipite Valley.
The special management area is located at the confluence of the Kings River and the North Fork, and protects the deepest part of the Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon may refer to:*Kings Canyon National Park is a national park in California, United States, named for Kings Canyon, a canyon within the park...
as well as stands of Giant Sequoia (the Cabin Creek and Converse Mountain Groves), the world's largest trees, and important wintering ranges for the Monarch and Hume deer herds. The SMA provides habitat for deer, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, marten
Marten
The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...
, gray fox
Gray Fox
The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
and a variety of birds. Bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s are common in the limestone cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s in the southeast portion of the SMA.
Recreation and access
Day hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, nature photography
Nature photography
Nature photography refers to a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures...
and whitewater rafting are some of the activities in the wilderness. The north unit requires permit
Permit
Permit may refer to:*Permit *Various legal licenses:*License*Work permit*Learner's permit*Permit to travel*Construction permit*Home Return Permit*One-way Permit*Permit is the common name for the Trachinotus falcatus, a type of Pompano....
s for overnight use. The main trail in this area is the 9-mile Deer Cove Trail which provides access to the Monarch Divide.
The south unit of the wilderness in Sequoia National Forest does not require permits and has three trailheads and three main trails into the wilderness. The Kanawyer Trail is 12 miles (19.3 km) in length and goes to Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
to the west.
The SMA unit contains numerous waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s and pools of the Kings Canyon. The three-mile-long (5 km) Kings River National Recreation Trail provides access up-canyon along the river.