Russian Wilderness
Russian Wilderness is a 12,521-acre wilderness area in Siskiyou County, California. It rises from about 4,839 to 8,152 ft. The nearest town is Etna, 7.2 miles away in a straight line.
Russian Wilderness map
Russian 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 Russian Wilderness is 15.
- Etna, CA is the nearest town, 7.2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Russian Wilderness is about 8,152 ft, and its lowest about 4,839 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Russian Peak, about 8,152 ft.
Who manages Russian Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 12,521 | Not on record | 15 | Not on record | Scott River Ranger District, 530-468-5351 |
Getting to Russian Wilderness
- Etna, CA is the nearest town, 7.2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Russian Wilderness
- Music Creek (0.04 mi outside the boundary, 6,174 ft), at 41.3280, -122.9747
- Taylor Lake Trailhead (0.07 mi outside the boundary, 6,553 ft), at 41.3682, -122.9735
- Bingham Lake (0.28 mi outside the boundary, 7,088 ft), at 41.2702, -122.9300
- Duck-Eaton Trailhead (0.42 mi outside the boundary, 4,374 ft), at 41.3404, -122.9227 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Paynes Lake (0.49 mi outside the boundary, 4,376 ft), at 41.3492, -122.9286
- South Russian (0.87 mi outside the boundary, 4,625 ft), at 41.3096, -123.0013
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 Russian Wilderness
- Russian Peak summit
- Grizzly Peak summit
- Eaton Peak summit
- Golden Russian 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.
Public lands next to Russian Wilderness
- National forestRussian Wilderness lies inside Klamath National Forest.
- Wilderness areaMarble Mountain Wilderness is 2.9 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=507 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n42w124/USGS_1_n42w124.tif (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n42w123/USGS_1_n42w123.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)