Caribou Wilderness
Caribou Wilderness is a 20,839-acre wilderness area in Lassen County, California. It rises from about 6,298 to 8,361 ft. The nearest town is Warner Valley, 4.9 miles away in a straight line.
Caribou Wilderness map
Caribou 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
- Camping in Caribou Wilderness is limited to 14 days.
- The maximum group size at Caribou Wilderness is 25.
- Warner Valley, CA is the nearest town, 4.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Caribou Wilderness is about 8,361 ft, and its lowest about 6,298 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Red Cinder, about 8,361 ft.
Who manages Caribou Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 20,839 | Not on record | 25 | 14 days | Almanor Ranger District, 530-258-2141 |
Getting to Caribou Wilderness
- Warner Valley, CA is the nearest town, 4.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Caribou Wilderness
- Caribou Lake Trailhead (0.39 mi outside the boundary, 6,567 ft), at 40.5023, -121.1640
- Cone Lake Trailhead (0.71 mi outside the boundary, 6,776 ft), at 40.5514, -121.2033
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-29. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Caribou Wilderness
- Red Cinder summit
- Black Butte summit
- North Caribou summit
- Beauty 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
- Caribou Lake fishing (0.2 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
- Silver Lake fishing (0.3 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
- Shotoverin Lake fishing (0.3 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
Public lands next to Caribou Wilderness
- National forestCaribou Wilderness lies inside Lassen National Forest.
- National Park Service unitCaribou Wilderness borders Lassen Volcanic National Park.
- Wilderness areaCaribou Wilderness borders Lassen Volcanic Wilderness.
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=98 (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)