Wild places > Southern Sierra: Regional Map

Golden Trout Wilderness Potential Additions

Managing agency: Sequoia National Forest

Size: Approximately 101,127 acres (The Rincon potential addition is one unit among several of these).

Location: The Rincon potential addition is located in Tulare County, south of the existing Golden Trout Wilderness.

Description: The Rincon potential addition to the Golden Trout Wilderness is the largest roadless area in the Sierra Nevada, as well as one of the most diverse places in the Sequoia National Forest. The area's incredible diversity is due to its dramatic shifts in elevation, ranging from 3,000 ft. to nearly 10,000 ft.

The Rincon area harbors one of the only sequoia groves that has never been logged, Freeman Creek Grove, which has been designated a special botanical area. Within Freeman Creek Grove, the largest trees are over 30 feet in diameter and more than 3,000 years old.

Pacific fisher and California spotted owl thrive within the Rincon potential addition. The Rincon potential addition is also the summer range for deer resident to Sequoia National Park.

The area also contains portions of the Kern River, which is has been designated by Congress as a wild river. The stretch of the Kern River within this area contains the native Kern River rainbow trout.

Rincon also includes Durrwood Creek, an untouched watershed that contains golden trout. Protecting the Rincon area would ensure the preservation of an uninterrupted transition of ecosystems, from the drier brushy areas along the North Fork Kern River to the conifer forests of the Kern Plateau.

For additional information, please contact:
Kern River Wildlands
P.O. Box 307
Tehachapi, CA 93581
(661) 821-2055

Or:
Emily Templin
California Wild Heritage Campaign
1345 East Bulldog Ave, Suite 4
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 226-2570