Monumental Questions - What is Snow Mountain Wilderness

Kristie Erhardt • August 9, 2024

Have you been there? Maybe you’re planning a trip or maybe you can’t wait to go back. The Snow Mountain Wilderness Area includes over 60,000 acres that straddles Colusa, Glenn and Lake Counties in the Northern Coast Range. It is one of the 806 designated Wilderness Areas established under the Wilderness Act signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. The Wilderness Act established the Wilderness Preservation System, “...for the permanent good of the whole people” and is considered one of America’s greatest conservation achievements. The law requires that federal land management agencies such as the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) manage the designated wilderness areas to preserve their individual wilderness characteristics. For a natural area to be considered for a Wilderness Area designation, it must meet stringent criteria: that it be large enough for personal solitude, possess exceptional opportunities for rudimentary and unrestrained recreation, be primarily free from human interference, and have distinct qualities that differentiate it from all other lands. Many Wilderness Areas have these qualities as well as other intangible characteristics that help develop and inspire a relationship with nature and adventure.

 

Today, nearly 112 million acres in the United States are designated as Wilderness Areas. These areas range in size from the nine million acre Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness in the Alaskan tundra that supports grizzly bears, caribou, wolves, Dall sheep and wolverines to the three acre Pelican Island Wilderness in Northern Florida which supports threatened and endangered species such as green sea turtle, Florida manatee and wood stork.

 

The Snow Mountain Wilderness was established in 1984 and totals 60,222 acres. It is within the Mendocino National Forest and is managed by the USFS. The heart of the Snow Mountain Wilderness is Snow Mountain itself. The wide-topped mountain has an East Peak with an elevation of 7,050 feet and drains water toward the Sacramento River to the east, and a West Peak with an elevation of 7,021 feet and drains into the Eel River basin to the west. The mountain also supports the largest waterfall in the Mendocino National Forest. Because of the contrasting elevations within the area, the unique geology of the region, and the montage of ecosystems, Snow Mountain is often considered a biological sky-island.

 

The entire 60,000+ acres of wilderness bears only about 40 miles of trails leaving the remainder of the area extremely remote and untraveled. Hiking the East Peak will give visitors a stunning view of the Sierra Nevada, Clear Lake, the Sacramento Valley and the surrounding Mendocino National Forest.

 

The geology of the Snow Mountain Wilderness (and the entire Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument) is fascinating. The Snow Mountain region formed during the time of the dinosaurs (Mesozoic era) and is made up mostly of sandstone, shale and chert. As Snow Mountain was being reared, the layers of rocks got pushed, twisted and distorted resulting in the lower elevations surrounding the mountain still being sedimentary rocks while the upper portion of the mountain is primarily made up of greenstone. Serpentine is also present which may be a remnant of the ocean crust as the mountain was pushed upward. The slopes on the north side of the area were covered by glaciers resulting in small meadows which remain today. 

 

The vegetation in the lower elevations of the area include grasslands with a stunning array of wildflowers following years with abundant rainfall, dense chaparral and blue oak woodland. Moving up in elevation, the vegetation community transitions into black oak and mixed conifer forest and higher in elevation you’ll find thick stands of true fir, Jeffrey pine and incense cedar interspersed with rocky outcrops.

 

Because it is so remote, camping is primitive, and there is no reliable source of water during most of the summer. Streams may not be safe for drinking so planning ahead is crucial and be sure to boil or filter all water collected before drinking it. Individual use permits are not required within the Mendocino National Forest however USFS recommends signing in at the trailhead. Because of the rugged terrain and remote location, be sure to check in at the ranger station for the current weather and forest conditions and restrictions prior to venturing out and tell others where you’re heading and when you expect to return. Maximum group size is 25 people or stock animals in the Snow Mountain Wilderness. To maintain wilderness characteristics, only travel by foot or horseback is allowed; no motorized or mechanical equipment is allowed within a wilderness area, wheelchairs are allowed. You are required to obtain a California Campfire permit if your plans include the use of any stove or building a campfire within a wilderness area. Permits are free of change and can be obtained at the USFS or BLM offices or from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

 

Thanks to the Wilderness Act and the National Wilderness Preservation System, the Snow Mountain Wilderness is part of the nearly 175 million square miles of federal public land that is protected for the solace and enjoyment of current and future generations of humans and wildlife equally.

 

“The purpose of the Wilderness Area is to preserve the wilderness character of the areas to be included in the Wilderness System, not to establish any particular use.”

           -Howard Zahniser (1906-1964) Executive Director of the Wilderness Society and primary author of the Wilderness Act

RECENT ARTICLES

Policy Corner: Protect America's Roadless Forests!

October 2, 2026
 On August 29, USDA published a notice of intent to eliminate the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule – the Roadless Rule, jeopardizing protections for 45 million acres of America's wildest forests , about a third of our national forests. Throughout Mendocino National Forest, 154,332 acres of Roadless Areas would lose protection, including nearly 30,000 acres within Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. What's at Stake These forests have only remained intact because of the 25-year commitment not to build roads and open these special areas to industry. Roadless areas provide clean drinking water to 60 million Americans. These forests store 20% of all carbon in U.S. national forests. The outdoor recreation economy generates $730 billion annually. Roadless areas are critical habitat for 1,600+ threatened species. We already have 370,000 miles of roads in forests with a multi-billion dollar maintenance backlog. Studies show wildfire ignitions are 4 times more likely near roads than in roadless areas. We Have Until September 21 st to Save America’s Roadless Forests This our opportunity to inform USDA that we are opposed to rolling back the Roadless Rule. Our goal is one million comments in support of the Roadless Rule What Can You Do? Submit Comments Supporting the Roadless Rule Directly to USDA or Click Here to Sign on to Tuleyome’s letter Our goal is to get 1,000,000 comments into USDA in support of the Roadless Rule! Information on How to Submit Public Comments for USDA Roadless Rule Step 1: Think about what types of comments you want to share with USDA. Here are some suggestions on what makes a good comment: Be specific about what roadless lands matter to you and why, whether for water, wildlife, recreation, wild fire prevention, cultural sites or old growth trees. Show how you will be personally harmed if these protections are removed. That harm can be direct, like losing access to a favorite place, or it can be health-related. Road-building and logging increase smoke, dust and polluted runoff that affect human health. Point to consequences, since roads lead to the removal of trees, severing connected wilderness corridors, erosion and higher fire risk. Call out contradictions such as: Forest service promises conservation while encouraging logging USDA states the Roadless Rule hinders wildfire management but more roads actually increase the likelihood of fire ignition points Feel free to borrow ideas from others or sample letters while maintaining your own voice, this is your opportunity to contribute and speak truth to power. Include your full name and address. Step 2: Go to the Regulations.gov site. This is the official federal government website to submit comments. Step 3: Copy and paste or upload your comments as a PDF. Step 4: Scroll to the bottom of the page, verify that you’re not a robot and hit submit. Consider keeping a copy of your comments for your record. As a reminder the comment period ends on September 21st.

Policy Corner: Keep Yosemite Public - Stop the Private Developer Land Deal

By Shai Demus • September 10, 2026
 Yosemite National Park belongs to the people. It should not be carved up to benefit a private developer. The National Park Service is working on a new proposal to give up a quarter-mile strip of land inside Yosemite National Park in exchange for property elsewhere in California. What's the goal? To provide a private developer with a new road and direct access from his 83-acre planned real estate development abutting the park to one of Yosemite’s central roads. This proposal deserves the public’s attention. The property is owned by Kingsbarn Realty Capitol, whose CEO wants to build a road connecting the private property to Yosemite. Previous efforts to establish this private access were rejected, including in federal court. The National Park Service has repeatedly refused similar requests for more than two decades. Our National Parks should not be carved up for private profit. National Parks were established in this country to protect America’s most interesting and iconic places for everyone to access, not to provide special access or development opportunities for private interests. Your action is especially timely because the Park Service has acknowledged that no final decision has been made, meaning there is still an opportunity for public scrutiny and opposition. Any eventual land exchange should be subject to federal laws, environmental review, and public notification requirements. Tell the National Park Service: Keep Yosemite public We can’t allow a national park to be reshaped around the interests of a private developer. Yosemite is a national treasure. Its lands, wildlife, cultural resources, and landscapes belong to the American people, and they should remain protected for generations to come. We have seen this kind of proposal before, and the public and the courts rejected it. We must make sure it does not come back through the back door. Yosemite is worth protecting. Speak up and keep it public. TAKE ACTION: Tell Interior Secretary Burgum to Keep Yosemite Public! Here’s How: Call your elected officials. Here is a sample script: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY/ZIP]. I'm calling to urge [Representative/Senator NAME] to publicly oppose the National Park Service's proposed land exchange inside Yosemite National Park, which would give a billionaire private developer, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, new road access through park land. I'm also asking [him/her/them] to call on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reject any further privatization or sell-off of our public lands. Yosemite belongs to the public, not private developers. Thank you.” Send a letter or email. You can use this template: Dear [Representative/Senator NAME], I’m writing as your constituent to urge you to oppose the National Park Service’s proposed land exchange inside Yosemite National Park. This proposal would trade a strip of park land to provide Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a billionaire private developer, with new road access from an 83-acre private property to one of Yosemite’s central roads. This is not the first attempt to establish this private access – previous efforts were rejected, including in federal court, and the Park Service has denied similar requests for more than two decades. Our public lands exist to serve the public, not to create development opportunities for billionaires. I ask that you publicly oppose this proposal and call on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to keep Yosemite, and all our national parks, fully public and protected for future generations. Thank you for representing our community on this issue. Sincerely, [NAME] [ADDRESS/ZIP] Not sure who represents you? Find your U.S. Representative and Senators here .

Donor Spotlight - Marita Cantwell

By Nate Lillge • September 10, 2026
I first learned of Tuleyome in 2015 when the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was created and it was in the news. I thought then of what a marvelous and impressive, important effort this was by so many people, including Tuleyome. Importantly it was so inclusive, involving people of so many different backgrounds and interests, getting the buy-in from the community at large. Once I learned about Tuleyome (and the meaning of the name - deep home place) and some of its conservation efforts, I decided that I wanted to contribute, at least in a small way. I come from a farming and research background, and newly retired, wanted to be more involved in conservation efforts and Tuleyome was local and ideal! I think the aspect of Tuleyome’s work that most resonated with me is the focus on educational programs for young people and adults. As an older person, I know that experiences we have in childhood have life-long impacts. Let them be positive and enriching experiences and let them include conservation and the natural world! Young people have many demands on their time and attention and most have limited exposure to nature. Regardless of our career paths, an appreciation of nature is vital for the well-being of us all. As a docent helper this past spring I was touched by three students who said this was the first time they had been out in nature. In 2024 I had the opportunity to participate in the Certified California Naturalist Program (CalNat) and was inspired by the lead instructors Geoff Benn and Nate Lillge, and invited speakers. And, I love the new manual about the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument , especially the geology section. My donations can be used toward any need but I particularly want to support the educational efforts for young people. The National monument is a treasure in our backyards. Its creation and subsequent enlargement in 2024, reminded me of the adage “think globally, act locally”. The multi-pronged conservation efforts of Tuleyome and its commitment to a diverse regional community are such important and positive actions. I see Tuleyome as a small but powerful inspiring organization.