Wild in the South

Typically, one tends not to think about Southern California as a particularly wild place – Hollywood, muscle beach, and miles of concrete are the more likely images that come to mind.  Yet the Los Angeles-San Diego corridor is merely the westernmost piece of the Southern California, and a short drive east will reveal new and nearly-empty landscapes.

Part of what makes California so amazing is its diversity of geography, and Southern California is the perfect place to see this contrast.  There are six Wilderness areas between Los Angeles and Palm Springs alone, and 12 more all within a three-hour drive.  Three Wilderness areas are right outside Rancho Cucamonga, and, if you ever find yourself burned out at the beach in Orange County, there’s one directly East of Laguna Niguel.  Yes folks, our state may be in the grips of a terrible drought, but SoCal is awash in Wilderness.

Depending on which direction you choose to go, you could find yourself climbing rugged mountain peaks or realizing you’ve brought along way too little water for a hike in the desert.  Personally, I recommend Joshua Tree, not only for the fact that it’s the inspiration for a U2 album, but because the landscape there is something you won’t see anyplace else on Earth.  Indeed, the Wilderness areas in Southern California are probably the most characteristically Californian in the state – jagged mountain peaks plunge into deep valleys, only to rise again to desert plateaus.  This is not the Sierras, and there are no redwoods, but this is a part of California’s wild heritage that few outside the state’s conservation community know, and even fewer take advantage of.  Of course, all of this is good news for you if you’re looking for an escape from civilization.

Sadly, there is a downside to a lack of awareness surrounding these areas.  The threats to Southern California’s wildlands are as diverse as the lands themselves.  Urban sprawl, despite its currently depressed growth, will no doubt pick up again; inland urban areas like Palm Springs have a lot of free space to expand into.  Attempts to secure mining leases from the federal agencies that currently administer most of California’s desert will also continue.  New power line routes, off-road vehicle areas, and new vacation resorts threaten the serenity of these wild places.  The fates of the lands that surround these wilderness areas need not just visitation, but urgent protection, as well.  The recently-passed Omnibus Public Land Act added a number of new Wilderness areas in Southern California, but there are still a number of threatened areas that deserve attention and protection.  What can we do?  Pay attention to them!  Get out there and explore what Southern California has to offer, tell your friends, and write Congress to put new protective measures in place and protect Southern California’s landscape for future generations.  

Check out the link below for a map of Wilderness areas easily accessible from Los Angeles!

http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&latitude=37&longitude=-120...