Introduction
The United States Congress designated the Rocks and Islands Wilderness (
map) in 2006 and it now has a total of
19 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Description
The California coastal Rocks and Islands Wilderness protects critical components of a unique area of California coastline. Although the smallest wilderness in the system at 5 acres, it encompasses thousands of rocks, islands, exposed reefs, and pinnacles spread out over miles along a section of California’s northern coast, now protected as the King Range Wilderness. These rocks and islands are home to a diverse ecosystem of birds and sea mammals. The coastal rocks and islands comprise a narrow flight lane in the Pacific flyway, providing protected nest sites as well as feeding and perching areas for millions of seabirds. This unique ecosystem is also important for the continued survival of endangered or threatened sea mammals, such as Steller sea lions and elephant seals.
