Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness is a 33,772-acre wilderness area in San Diego County, California. It rises from about 1,239 to 6,045 ft. The nearest town is Mount Laguna, 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness map
Sawtooth Mountains 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
- Camping in Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness is limited to 14 days.
- Mount Laguna, CA is the nearest town, 0.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness is about 6,045 ft, and its lowest about 1,239 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Red Top, about 4,447 ft.
Who manages Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 33,772 | Not on record | Not on record | 14 days | Not on record |
Getting to Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
- Mount Laguna, CA is the nearest town, 0.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-29)
Trailheads at Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
- Storm Canyon Vista (0.42 mi outside the boundary, 5,360 ft), at 32.8958, -116.4477
- Penny Pines Interpretive Site Trailhead (0.49 mi outside the boundary, 5,447 ft), at 32.9058, -116.4563
- Garnet Peak Trailhead (0.78 mi outside the boundary, 5,395 ft), at 32.9116, -116.4612 (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 Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
- Red Top summit
- Storm Canyon canyon
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 Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
- State parkSawtooth Mountains Wilderness borders Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
- National forestSawtooth Mountains Wilderness borders Cleveland National Forest.
- Wilderness areaCarrizo Gorge Wilderness is 1.4 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=537 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n33w117/USGS_1_n33w117.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)