The Silver Peak Wilderness is located in the southwestern corner of Monterey County in the Santa Lucia Mountains along the Central Coast of California . It southern boundary largely follows the Monterey County/ San Luis Obispo County line. Its eastern boundary is defined by Ft. Hunter Liggett , while on the west it follows closely along Highway 1 and the Big Sur coastline. It is one of ten wilderness areas within the Los Padres National Forest and managed by the US Forest Service .
15-633: 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) which set aside approximately 14,500 acres (59 km). The same legislation also established the Chumash , Garcia , Machesna Mountain, Matilija , and Sespe Wilderness areas. On December 19, 2002 the Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act of 2002 added 17,055 acres (69.02 km) to
30-708: A floor vote in the Senate. Lagomarsino worked closely with both of California's senators at the time, Democratic Senator Alan Cranston and Republican Senator John F. Seymour , in developing the final bill that would be eventually signed into law. The bill introduced to and eventually passed by both houses of the 102nd U.S. Congress changed from the previous version by also establishing the Chumash and Silver Peak Wilderness Areas, containing no provisions allowing for new directional oil drilling leases under wilderness, and modified language regarding water rights and management of wilderness areas. President George H.W. Bush signed
45-628: Is a Federal law that established five new designated Wilderness Areas and three new designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in the Los Padres National Forest and Angeles National Forest in California . The law was sponsored by California Republican and Ventura County native Robert J. Lagomarsino while he represented California's 19th District in the United States House of Representatives . The legislation
60-484: Is a 14,100-acre (57 km ) 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. It
75-470: Is also an isolated stand of coastal redwoods, the world's southernmost stand of redwoods. The wilderness also encompasses a rare grove of Sargent cypress , gray pines, and Santa Lucia fir . In the spring when the creeks fill, some of the steeper canyons feature waterfalls. Salmon Creek Falls , just off CA-1, is a very popular attraction, and the Salmon Creek Trail is a popular access point to
90-666: The Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail . The legislation established water rights to begin reserving a quantity of water "sufficient to fulfill the purposes of this Act." Additionally, the legislation amended the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 by adding portions of Piru Creek , Little Sur River , Matilija Creek , Lopez Creek, and Sespe Creek to the list of streams for potential designation as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Garcia Wilderness The Garcia Wilderness
105-738: The Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act into law in 1992, lauding the legislation for protecting habitat critical to the recovery of the nearly extinct California condor, increasing the amount of national forest lands in California protected under the Wilderness Act of 1964 by 10%, and permanently protecting nearly half of the Los Padres National Forest as wilderness. Five new wilderness areas totaling 316,050 acres were designated within
120-639: The Los Padres National Forest (although the Sespe Wilderness includes a small portion of the Angeles National Forest ): These wilderness areas span Kern, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties as well as the Los Padres National Forest's Santa Lucia, Monterey, Mount Pinos, and Ojai Ranger Districts Two existing wilderness areas within the Los Padres National Forest were expanded by 84,400 acres: These wilderness areas span Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties and
135-572: The Los Padrs National Forest's Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia, and Monterey Ranger Districts. The legislation amended the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 to establish 84 miles of three streams within the Los Padres National Forest as new Wild and Scenic Rivers: In designating the Sespe Wilderness, the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act also recognized an existing 18-mile trail between Reyes Creek and Lion Campgrounds as
150-761: The Wilderness. Views on clear days extend to the Big Sur coastline to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Salinas Valley to the east. Recreation includes backpacking , horse camping, and day trips. As with all wilderness areas, motorized and mechanized vehicles (including mountain bikes) are prohibited everywhere except the forest service roads. Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act of 1992 The Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-301)
165-683: The bill in 1989 as H.R. 1473 ( 101st U.S. Congress ), which was altered from the previous version to also designate the Garcia and San Emigdio Mesa Wilderness Areas while expanding the Ventana Wilderness . This version of the legislation would have also designated portions of Sespe Creek , Sisquoc River , and Big Sur River as Wild and Scenic Rivers. The bill passed the House of Representatives with amendments in October 1989, but never received
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#1732781151184180-563: The existing wilderness. The Wilderness is in two separate units, divided by the Willow Creek drainage and the fire roads to Alder Creek. The wilderness terrain rises steeply from near the Pacific Ocean to Silver Peak itself at 3,590 feet (1,090 m). Vegetation in the forests includes California sycamore , the big leaf maple, and red alder. Open slopes are dominated by ceanothus, manzanita, coastal live oak, and gray pine. There
195-509: The law provide habitat for the California condor , a species that was extant only in captivity as of 1987 when all 27 condors left in the world were being kept in California breeding facilities and for which the legislation was named. Six months before the bill was signed into law in 1992, two of the captive California condors were reintroduced into the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, a protected area that would go on to become part of
210-610: The new Sespe Wilderness in Ventura County, California. The Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act was first introduced to Congress as H.R. 4747 ( 100th U.S. Congress ) by Representative Robert J. Lagomarsino in 1988. This first version of the legislation sought only to establish the Sespe and Matilija Wilderness Areas in addition to expanding the San Rafael Wilderness . Lagomarsino then reintroduced
225-412: Was cosponsored by Democratic and Republican representatives from districts representing the entirety of the Los Padres National Forest. Signed by President George H.W. Bush , the law designated 316,050 acres (127,900 ha) of new wilderness, expanded existing wilderness by 84,400 acres (34,200 ha), and designated 84 miles (135 km) of new Wild and Scenic Rivers. Most of the areas protected by
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