Wilderness Connect

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Eons of wind and water, heat and frost produced the starkly angular crags and spires of today's Hain Wilderness. Situated within Pinnacles National Park, Hain Wilderness, previously called the Pinnacles Wilderness, was renamed in January, 2013 in honor of Schuyler Hain. Hain was a homesteader who led tours to Bear Valley and through the caves, advocating for preservation of the region. Hain's efforts moved Theodore Roosevelt to establish Pinnacles National Monument in 1908, which formally became a national park the same year the Wilderness was renamed.

About 23 million years ago, molten lava poured through the rift where the Pacific and North American tectonic plates collide, giving birth to a vast volcanic field. Then the Pacific Plate began creeping along the San Andreas Fault, carrying the Pinnacles to its current location 195 miles to the north. Along the way, forces of uplift and erosion shaped the rocks into the spectacular forms we see today.

Although Pinnacles was originally set aside to protect the unique rocks and caves, it is now also celebrated for its healthy native ecosystems. Vast expanses of chaparral, pocketed with woodlands and outcroppings of rocks and scree, support an impressive diversity of native plants and animals. Among these species are greasewood, manzanita, gray pine, canyon live oak and blue oak. Cooler areas have higher proportions of pines and oaks, together with California buckeye, hollyleaf cherry and coffeeberry. Willows and elderberries are found along the intermittent streams. More than 500 native flowering plant species share the landscape with 400 species of bees, beneath the gaze of soaring falcons and California condors.

The climate in Hain Wilderness includes hot, dry summers and cool winters with moderate rainfall. Temperature can swing from 50 degrees at night to 100 degrees during the day. Average rainfall is 16 inches per year, falling mostly from January to March. Snow occurs in small amounts at higher elevation most years from mid-December to January. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Hain Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Hain Wilderness
Google Earth

California Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 94-567

Date: October 20, 1976
Acreage: 12,952 acres

(No official title, designates National Park Service wildernesses) - Public Law 94-567 (10/20/1976) To designate certain lands within units of the National Park System as wilderness; to revise the boundaries of certain of these units; and for other purposes.

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 94-567 or special provisions for 94-567 or legislative history for 94-567.

Public Law 107-370

Date: December 19, 2002
Acreage: 2,715 acres

Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act of 2002 - Public law 107-370 (12/19/2002) To designate certain lands in the State of California as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 107-370 or special provisions for 107-370 or legislative history for 107-370.

Public Law 112-245

Date: August 1, 2012
Acreage: 0 acres

Pinnacles National Park Act - Public law 112-245 (8/1/2012) To establish Pinnacles National Park in the State of California as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 112-245 or legislative history for 112-245.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

Citizens who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities.