Granite Chief Wilderness
Granite Chief Wilderness is a 28,374-acre wilderness area in Placer County, California. It rises from about 4,649 to 8,988 ft. The nearest town is Sunnyside-Tahoe City, 4 miles away in a straight line.
Granite Chief Wilderness map
Granite Chief 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 Granite Chief Wilderness is 12.
- Campfires are prohibited in some areas: Prohibited within 600 feet of listed features.
- Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA is the nearest town, 4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Granite Chief Wilderness is about 8,988 ft, and its lowest about 4,649 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Granite Chief, about 8,988 ft.
Who manages Granite Chief Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 28,374 | Not on record | 12 | Not on record | Truckee Ranger District, 530-587-3558 |
Getting to Granite Chief Wilderness
- Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA is the nearest town, 4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Granite Chief Wilderness
- Shanks Cove (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 6,715 ft), at 39.1317, -120.3304
- Talbot Equestrian Trailhead (0.11 mi outside the boundary, 5,618 ft), at 39.1887, -120.3732
- Powderhorn Trailhead (0.51 mi outside the boundary, 7,650 ft), at 39.0747, -120.2612 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Barker Pass Pacific Crest Trailhead (0.98 mi outside the boundary, 7,661 ft), at 39.0769, -120.2351
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 Granite Chief Wilderness
- Granite Chief summit
- Needle Peak summit
- Lyon Peak summit
- Grouse Canyon canyon
- Steamboat Canyon canyon
- Big Spring spring
- Hunters Spring spring
- Five 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 Granite Chief Wilderness
- National forestGranite Chief Wilderness lies inside Tahoe National Forest.
- National forestGranite Chief Wilderness borders Eldorado National Forest.
- National forestGranite Chief Wilderness borders Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, a national forest.
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=214 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n40w121/USGS_1_n40w121.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)