The San Gorgonio Wilderness is located in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County and into northern Riverside County, Southern California.
It begins north of San Gorgonio Pass, approximately west of Morongo Valley and northwest of Palm Springs, California.
Geography The wilderness is part of the eastern slope of the San Bernardino Mountains, with topography rapidly changing from low, rolling foothills and canyons to steep, rugged mountains. These mountains include Mount San Gorgonio and several other peaks over . Elevations range from . Because of this elevation gradient, the wilderness reflects a transition between desert, coastal and mountain environments, including the different types of vegetation representative of each elevation.
The United States Congress designated the San Gorgonio Wilderness in 1964. By 1984, it expanded to . In 1994, it was further expanded with additional BLM lands and it now has a total of .
Sand to Snow National Monument The San Gorgonio Wilderness is now within the Sand to Snow National Monument, established by President Obama in February 2016.Whitehouse.gov: Presidential Proclamation − Establishment of the Sand to Snow National Monument, 12 February 2016 — "The USFS shall manage that portion of the monument within the boundaries of the San Bernardino National Forest, and BLM shall manage the remainder of the monument." It is managed jointly by the San Bernardino National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management.BLM California: Sand to Snow National Monument website (83,000 acres)USDA Forest Service: Sand to Snow National Monument webpage (71,000 acres).
See also
References
External links Recreation.gov: San Gorgonio Wilderness area Wilderness.net: San Gorgonio Wilderness San Gorgonio Wilderness Association