Surprise Canyon Wilderness Area

Surprise Canyon Wilderness Area is a 24,924-acre federally designated Wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management in California. This is primitive backcountry where motorized travel, mechanical transport, and road infrastructure are prohibited—the defining character of a federally protected Wilderness. Visitors come for hiking and backpacking in a non-motorized landscape where solitude and Leave No Trace principles govern your visit. Access is on foot only, and the reality of Wilderness travel means self-reliance, route-finding skills, and respect for the wilderness rules that keep the place undeveloped. Plan for remote terrain and prepare accordingly; this is not a place with maintained trails or services.