Stanislaus National Forest
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:More citations needed Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox protected area Stanislaus National Forest is a U.S. national forest which manages Template:Convert of land in four counties in the Sierra Nevada 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.
Geography
The forest is located primarily in eastern Tuolumne County, 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 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 Template:Convert of rivers and streams. It has Template:Convert of non-motorized trails and Template:Convert of roads, Template:Convert of which are paved.
The forest contains some Template:Convert of old growth, which includes Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) and White Fir (Abies concolor).<ref name = "PacificSouthwest2002Estimates">Template:Citation</ref>
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 exist alongside heavy cattle grazing. Whitewater rafting and kayaking 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 Stanislaus River, 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.
See also
- Chinaman Mortar Site
- Ecology of the Sierra Nevada
- List of national forests of the United States
- List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
- Category:Fauna of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
- Calaveras Big Tree National Forest - historical
References
External links
- Official Stanislaus National Forest website
- Columns of the Giants, Stanislaus National Forest, USDA Forest Service website
Template:Protected Areas of California Template:National Forests of the United States Template:Sierra Nevada
- Pages with broken file links
- Stanislaus National Forest
- National forests of California
- Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
- Protected areas of Alpine County, California
- Protected areas of Calaveras County, California
- Protected areas of Mariposa County, California
- Protected areas of Tuolumne County, California
- Sonora, California
- Biosphere reserves of the United States
- 1897 establishments in California
- Protected areas established in 1897