Stanislaus National Forest is a

U.S. National Forest In the United States, national forest is a classification of protected and managed federal lands. National forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned collectively by the American people through the federal government, and managed by t ...

which manages of land in four counties in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

in Northern California. It was established on February 22, 1897, making it one of the oldest national forests. It was named after the

Stanislaus River The Stanislaus River is a tributary of the San Joaquin River in north-central California in the United States. The main stem of the river is long, and measured to its furthest headwaters it is about long. Originating as three forks in the high ...

Geography

The forest is located primarily in eastern

Tuolumne County Tuolumne County (), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora. Tuolumne County comprises the ...

, adjacent to the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park, but parts of it extend (in descending order of forestland area) into Southern Alpine County, Northern Mariposa County and Eastern Calaveras County. Forest headquarters are located in Sonora, California. There are local ranger district offices in Groveland, Hathaway Pines, and Pinecrest. The

Emigrant Wilderness The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 ...

is located entirely within its boundaries. Portions of the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, including the Dardanelles Cone, and the Mokelumne Wilderness are also within the Stanislaus National Forest.

Features

It contains 78 lakes and of rivers and streams. It has of non-motorized trails and of roads, of which are paved. The forest contains some of old growth, which includes Lodgepole Pine (''Pinus contorta''),

Jeffrey Pine ''Pinus jeffreyi'', also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja Califo ...

(''Pinus jeffreyi'') and White Fir (''Abies concolor'').

Recreation

The proximity of the Stanislaus National Forest to the San Francisco Bay Area makes it a popular recreation destination. The volcanic and granite formations in the

wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

exist alongside heavy cattle grazing. Whitewater rafting and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

can be found in the wild and scenic Tuolumne River and Cherry Creek. Other rivers flowing out of the Stanislaus include the

Clavey River The Clavey River is a tributary of the Tuolumne River in the Sierra Nevada, located in the Stanislaus National Forest and Tuolumne County, California. The river is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline ...

, the

, as well as the Merced River along the southern boundary. Two ski resorts, Dodge Ridge and Bear Valley, operate here under a special use permit.

2013 Rim Fire

The Rim Fire was ignited on the Stanislaus National Forest in August 2013, and eventually grew to become the third-largest fire in California history. The fire was named after the Rim of the World Vista on California State Route 120, where the fire was initially reported.

References

External links