Visit Wilderness

Search for a wilderness as the destination for your next outdoor adventure.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Minnesota

Why Visit Wilderness?

While wilderness can be appreciated from afar—through online content, television, or books—nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. Activities like camping, hiking, or hunting allow you to fully enjoy the recreational, ecological, spiritual, and health benefits that wilderness areas offer. These areas provide “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation,” chances to observe wildlife, moments to renew and refresh, and the physical benefits of outdoor exercise. In many wilderness areas, you can even bring your well-behaved dog.

Learn more about the diverse ways in which we benefit from wilderness and threats wilderness areas face today.

The Yahi Yana Indians lived in this region for over 3,000 years before white settlers arrived around 1850 and promptly exterminated all but the handful who escaped into the harsh and remote canyons of what today is known as Ishi Wilderness. Ishi, whose name is the Yahi word for "man," was the last survivor of the tribe. You may find evidence of the Yahi Yana who lived here, historic pieces of all that remains of these people, and you should leave what you find alone.

Carved by wind and water into basaltic outcroppings, caves, and bizarre pillars of lava, Ishi Wilderness is an up-and-down land of east-west ridges within rugged river canyons. A lush riparian forest lines the rivers, while sun-washed south slopes support chaparral (a mixture of brushes). Pines and oaks grow on the north slopes, where more moisture collects.

The two creeks, Deer and Mill, represent the few remaining tributaries of the Sacramento River that still support runs of salmon and steelhead trout. The Tehama deer herd, the largest migratory herd in California, winters in this area, sharing the landscape with wild hogs, black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, and rabbits. Several species of raptors nest on the rocky cliffs, and rattlesnakes are commonly seen in the warmer months.

Although many trails rated easy to difficult provide access to this Wilderness–some of which originated as Indian paths–human use is light. Mill Creek Trail follows the creek for 6.5 easy miles, offering magnificent views and many fishing and swimming holes.

A small piece of the this Wilderness is managed by the BLM Redding Field Office.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Ishi Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Ishi Wilderness
FS Topographic Map
Google Earth

California Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 98-425

Date: September 28, 1984
Acreage: 41,840 acres

California Wilderness Act of 1984 - Public Law 98-425 (9/28/1984) California Wilderness Act of 1984

For more information (To download or see all affected wilderness areas) visit our law library for 98-425 or special provisions for 98-425 or legislative history for 98-425.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

People who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Groups are listed alphabetically by the state(s) in which the wilderness is located.