| San Rafael Wilderness | |
|---|---|
 Location of the San Rafael Wilderness in Santa Barbara County, California | |
  | |
| Location | Santa Barbara County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Santa Barbara, California |
| Coordinates | 34°48′41″N 119°51′46″W / 34.81139°N 119.86278°W |
| Area | 197,380 acres (799 km2) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The San Rafael Wilderness is a wilderness area in the mountains of north central Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is north of the city of Santa Barbara and east of Santa Maria within the Los Padres National Forest. Formed in 1968, it was the first wilderness area to be created from a previously designated Primitive Area after the passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act. It also includes the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary, created in 1937, which is the oldest designated sanctuary for the large endangered birds.[1]
- ^ Gagnon, p. 14