| Garcia Wilderness | |
|---|---|
  Location in California  Location in United States | |
| Location | San Luis Obispo County, California |
| Nearest city | Santa Maria, California |
| Coordinates | 35°14′56″N 120°18′35″W / 35.24889°N 120.30972°W |
| Area | 14,100 acres (57 km2) |
| Established | 1992 |
| Governing body | US Forest Service and USDA |
The Garcia Wilderness is a 14,100-acre (57 km2) wilderness area within the Los Padres National Forest in San Luis Obispo County, California.
The wilderness was created by the U.S. Congress as part of the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-301). The same legislation also established the Chumash, Machesna Mountain, Matilija, Sespe, and Silver Peak Wilderness areas.[2][3] It is named for the mountain it protects, the east-west ridge of Garcia Mountain, a 3,146 ft. peak of the Santa Lucia Range.[4] The area's vegetation includes chaparral and grasslands to oak forests.
The main river drainages are the Salinas River and the Santa Maria River.
There are two designated campgrounds and three hiking trails, the longest being the 11-mile (18 km) Caldwell Mesa Trail.
- ^ Protected Planet Website- Retrieved April 17, 2023
- ^ "George Bush: Statement on Signing the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act (PDF). June 19, 1992. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "Garcia Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.