Wilderness area

Clipper Mountain Wilderness

Clipper Mountain Wilderness is a 33,843-acre wilderness area in San Bernardino County, California. It rises from about 1,583 to 4,596 ft. The nearest town is Needles, 38.8 miles away in a straight line.

Clipper Mountain Wilderness
Photo: Bureau of Land Management California, Public domain

Clipper Mountain Wilderness map

Clipper Mountain Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

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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

Needles, CA is the nearest town, 38.8 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). The wilderness.net page for this area places it about 5 miles northwest of Essex.
The highest ground in Clipper Mountain Wilderness is about 4,596 ft, and its lowest about 1,583 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Castle Dome, about 3,262 ft.

Who manages Clipper Mountain Wilderness

Agency Acres Permit Group size Stay limit Office
BLM 33,843 Not on record Not on record Not on record Needles Field Office, 760-326-7000

Getting to Clipper Mountain Wilderness

  • Needles, CA is the nearest town, 38.8 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
  • The wilderness.net page for this area places it about 5 miles northwest of Essex.
  • Access roads named on the area's wilderness.net page: Interstate 40.

Position, roads and vehicle notes: wilderness.net page for Clipper Mountain Wilderness, accessed 2026-09-29. Roads and conditions change; check with the managing office before driving in.

Named summits, canyons, and springs in Clipper Mountain Wilderness

  • Castle Dome summit about 3,262 ft
  • Chuckwalla Spring spring
  • Hummingbird Spring spring

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.

Public lands next to Clipper Mountain Wilderness

Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.

Other wilderness areas in California

California wilderness areas