Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
Owens River Headwaters Wilderness is a 14,698-acre wilderness area in Mono County, California. It rises from about 7,739 to 11,582 ft. The nearest town is June Lake, 0.4 miles away in a straight line.
Owens River Headwaters Wilderness map
Owens River Headwaters 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 Owens River Headwaters Wilderness is 15.
- June Lake, CA is the nearest town, 0.4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Owens River Headwaters Wilderness is about 11,582 ft, and its lowest about 7,739 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is White Wing Mountain, about 10,010 ft.
Who manages Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 14,698 | Not on record | 15 | Not on record | Inyo National Forest, 760-873-2400 |
Getting to Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
- June Lake, CA is the nearest town, 0.4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
- Glass Creek Meadow Trailhead (0.15 mi outside the boundary, 8,152 ft), at 37.7490, -119.0229
- Fern/Yost Trailhead (0.4 mi outside the boundary, 7,317 ft), at 37.7618, -119.1133
- Yost Lake Trailhead (0.4 mi outside the boundary, 7,317 ft), at 37.7618, -119.1132
- Agnew Mead. Wildflower Th (0.74 mi outside the boundary, 8,338 ft), at 37.6811, -119.0807
- Inyo Craters Trailhead (0.78 mi outside the boundary, 8,107 ft), at 37.6881, -119.0063
- High Trail Trailhead (0.81 mi outside the boundary, 8,350 ft), at 37.6829, -119.0844
- Shadow Lake Trailhead (0.92 mi outside the boundary, 8,312 ft), at 37.6821, -119.0862
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-29. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
- White Wing Mountain summit
- Hartley Springs spring
- Yost 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
- June Lake fishing (0.7 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
- Deadman Creek fishing (0.8 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
- Glass Creek fishing (1 mile outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
Public lands next to Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
- National forestOwens River Headwaters Wilderness lies inside Inyo National Forest.
- Wilderness areaOwens River Headwaters Wilderness borders Ansel Adams Wilderness.
- National Park Service unitDevils Postpile National Monument is 2.3 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
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=735 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n38w120/USGS_1_n38w120.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)