Dome Land Wilderness
| Domeland Wilderness | |
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IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
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Domeland Wilderness from Bald Mountain, summer 2007.
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| Location | Tulare / Kern counties, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Porterville, California/ Ridgecrest, California |
| Coordinates | 35°53′00″N 118°12′33″W / 35.88333°N 118.20917°WCoordinates: 35°53′00″N 118°12′33″W / 35.88333°N 118.20917°W |
| Area | 130,081 acres (526.42 km2) |
| Established | 1964 |
| Governing body | U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management |
The Domeland Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 55 miles (89 km) northeast of Bakersfield, California USA. It encompasses 130,081 acres (526.42 km2), is jointly managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is mostly within the Sequoia National Forest.
Domeland Wilderness was created by the federal Wilderness Act of 1964 and expanded by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, adding 36,000 acres (150 km2) of BLM land.
The Manter wildfire in July 2000 burned more than 74,000 acres (300 km2) of the wilderness.
Elevations range from 2,800 feet (850 m) up to 9,977 feet (3,041 m).
The wilderness protects the southern area of the Kern Plateau with the Wild and Scenic South Fork Kern River bisecting the wilderness down the middle from north to south. The highest area of the plateau is the middle of the wilderness with large expanses of bedrock with cliffs, domes and spires that give the wilderness its name. One of the most outstanding rock formations is Church Dome. Interspersed with these formations are mixed conifer forests ranging from white fir and Jeffrey pine to Limber Pine and foxtail pine at the highest elevations.
The western boundary is defined by a broken granite ridge with another ridge divide at the northern boundary. Large meadows occur in the wilderness and provide summer range for the Kern River deer herd and the Monarche herd as well. Other animals in the wilderness include the mountain lion, bobcat, and American black bear. A large population of rattlesnakes reside within the wilderness and visitors should use extra caution, especially in the area of the South Fork Kern River.
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