Golden Trout Wilderness
Yes, a permit is required to visit Golden Trout Wilderness. Golden Trout Wilderness is a 303,713-acre wilderness area in Tulare County, California. It rises from about 3,785 to 12,874 ft. The nearest town is Cartago, 0.7 miles away in a straight line.
Golden Trout Wilderness map
Golden Trout 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
- Yes, a permit is required to visit Golden Trout Wilderness.
- Camping in Golden Trout Wilderness is limited to 14 days.
- The maximum group size at Golden Trout Wilderness is 15.
- Campfires are prohibited.
- Cartago, CA is the nearest town, 0.7 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Golden Trout Wilderness is about 12,874 ft, and its lowest about 3,785 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Cirque Peak, about 12,874 ft.
Who manages Golden Trout Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 303,713 | permit required for overnight stays. | 15 | 14 days | Inyo National Forest, 760-873-2400 |
Getting to Golden Trout Wilderness
- Cartago, CA is the nearest town, 0.7 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Golden Trout Wilderness
- Blackrock Trailhead (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 8,964 ft), at 36.1781, -118.2674
- Summit Trailhead (0.04 mi outside the boundary, 8,245 ft), at 36.2106, -118.5780 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Cottonwood Canyon Trailhead (0.07 mi outside the boundary, 5,368 ft), at 36.4410, -118.0871 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Cottonwood Pass Trailhead (0.07 mi outside the boundary, 9,932 ft), at 36.4483, -118.1706
- Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead (0.08 mi outside the boundary, 10,034 ft), at 36.4534, -118.1700
- Lewis Camp Trailhead (0.26 mi outside the boundary, 7,682 ft), at 36.1813, -118.5152
- Forks Of The Kern Trailhead (0.56 mi outside the boundary, 5,762 ft), at 36.1379, -118.4560
- Jerkey Trailhead (1 mi outside the boundary, 5,932 ft), at 36.1669, -118.4793 (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 Golden Trout Wilderness
- Cirque Peak summit
- Olancha Peak summit
- Trail Peak summit
- Deadman Canyon canyon
- Death Canyon canyon
- Trout Meadows Spring spring
- Cold Spring spring
- Bullfrog Lakes 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.
Public lands next to Golden Trout Wilderness
- National forest Most of Golden Trout Wilderness lies inside Inyo National Forest.
- Wilderness areaGolden Trout Wilderness borders John Krebs Wilderness.
- Wilderness areaGolden Trout Wilderness borders John Muir Wilderness.
- National forestGolden Trout Wilderness borders Sequoia National Forest.
- Wilderness areaGolden Trout Wilderness borders Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness.
- Wilderness areaGolden Trout Wilderness borders South Sierra 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=210 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n37w119/USGS_1_n37w119.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)