Yuki Wilderness

Size: 17,196 acres.

Location: Mendocino County:  Approximately 8 miles southeast of Covelo, California. 

Area Description :

The wilderness area is comprised of several long, brush covered ridges (Long Doe, Horse Pasture, Thatcher, and Bentley).  The topography consists of relatively flat ridge tops with westerly-facing, brush-covered slopes.  Elevations run from about 1,200 feet to Thatcher Butte at 4,600 feet.  Vegetation varies from dense chaparral/chamise to a few small open grassland/oak meadows.  There are some patches of timber along the higher elevations of Hayshed and Thatcher Creeks.  The Middle Fork Eel Wild and Scenic River flows through the northern portion of the area.

Notable wildlife includes the endangered bald eagle and peregrine falcon.  Anadromous fish (Chinook salmon and steelhead) use the Middle Fork Eel River and its tributaries for spawning and rearing

Getting There :

Access to the wilderness area is from U.S. Highway 101 at Highway 162 (between Laytonville and Willits), easterly past Covelo for several miles, then south on Etsel Ridge Road, right on Thatcher Butte Road, and then to Horse Pasture Ridge Road.

Nonfederal Lands:

Non-federal lands do not exist within the wilderness area.

Additional Information :

Signs indicating the wilderness boundary have not been posted.

Mechanized or motorized vehicles are not allowed in this wilderness area, except for private landowner?s access to his property.

Hunting is allowed under state laws.

Fishing is not allowed.

Pets are allowed, and must be under the owner?s control at all times.

Camping is allowed, limited to 14 days.

Campfires are allowed unless prohibited during seasonal fire restrictions.

Gathering wood for campfires, when permitted, is limited to dead and down materials.  Do not cut live vegetation.

The BLM encourages all desert recreationists and travelers exploring public lands, not only within southern California but through the west, to use propylene glycol based antifreeze/coolant in their touring and recreation vehicles.  Proven safer, it will have minimal impacts on the wildlife and the environment should a leak occur.

Maps: 

• USDI BLM Edition Surface Management Status 1:100,000-scale topographic map
  - Covelo
   
• USGS 7.5 Quadrangle Maps:
  - Jamison Ridge
  - Thatcher Ridge
  - Sanhedrin Mountain

Contact:
Arcata Field Office

Go to BLM Wilderness List