Bucks Lake Wilderness
Bucks Lake Wilderness is a 23,578-acre wilderness area in Plumas County, California. It rises from about 2,136 to 7,090 ft. The nearest town is Belden, 0.1 miles away in a straight line.
Bucks Lake Wilderness map
Bucks Lake Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
Common questions
- The maximum group size at Bucks Lake Wilderness is 25.
- Belden, CA is the nearest town, 0.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Bucks Lake Wilderness is about 7,090 ft, and its lowest about 2,136 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Mount Pleasant, about 7,050 ft.
Who manages Bucks Lake Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 23,578 | Not on record | 25 | Not on record | Mt. Hough Ranger District, 530-283-0555 |
Getting to Bucks Lake Wilderness
- Belden, CA is the nearest town, 0.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Bucks Lake Wilderness
- Gold Lake Trailhead (inside the boundary, 5,806 ft), at 39.9573, -121.1336
- Belden Trailhead (0.04 mi outside the boundary, 2,303 ft), at 40.0029, -121.2571
- Three Lakes Trailhead (0.09 mi outside the boundary, 6,106 ft), at 39.9709, -121.2234
- Mill Creek Trailhead (0.14 mi outside the boundary, 5,183 ft), at 39.8842, -121.1498
- PCT Trailhead (0.14 mi outside the boundary, 5,525 ft), at 39.8993, -121.1201 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-29. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-29. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-ca.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Bucks Lake Wilderness
- Mount Pleasant summit
- Spanish Peak summit
- Gold Lake lake
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-29. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Fishing and water
Bucks Lake fishing (0.5 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
Public lands next to Bucks Lake Wilderness
- National forestBucks Lake Wilderness lies inside Plumas National Forest.
- National forestLassen National Forest is 1.8 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in California
- https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=84 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n40w122/USGS_1_n40w122.tif (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n41w122/USGS_1_n41w122.tif (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/GeographicNames/DomesticNames/DomesticNames_CA_Text.zip (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/2025_gaz_place_06.txt (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_InfraRecreationSites_01/MapServer/0 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (accessed 2026-09-29)