Wilderness area

Old Woman Mountains Wilderness

Old Woman Mountains Wilderness is a 165,172-acre wilderness area in San Bernardino County, California. It rises from about 660 to 5,294 ft. The nearest town is Needles, 31.5 miles away in a straight line.

Old Woman Mountains Wilderness
Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0

Old Woman Mountains Wilderness map

Old Woman Mountains 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, 31.5 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). The wilderness.net page for this area places it about 35 miles west of Needles.
The highest ground in Old Woman Mountains Wilderness is about 5,294 ft, and its lowest about 660 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Carbonate Peak, about 5,206 ft.

Who manages Old Woman Mountains Wilderness

Agency Acres Permit Group size Stay limit Office
BLM 165,172 Not on record Not on record Not on record Needles Field Office, 760-326-7000

Getting to Old Woman Mountains Wilderness

  • Needles, CA is the nearest town, 31.5 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 35 miles west of Needles.

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

Named summits, canyons, and springs in Old Woman Mountains Wilderness

  • Carbonate Peak summit about 5,206 ft
  • Mercury Mountain summit about 3,681 ft
  • Rattlesnake Canyon canyon
  • Willow Spring Canyon canyon
  • Bert Spring spring
  • Dripping 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 Old Woman Mountains 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