Bear Canyon Addition to the Ventana Wilderness
 Managing
agency: Los Padres National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Size: Approximately 14,550 acres.
Description: From the summit of Monterey
County's highest mountain, 5,862' Junipero Serra Peak, the terrain in this addition
drops steeply to the valley below. Both the upper slopes and the grasslands that comprise
the southern portion of this area contain attractive rock formations. In the spring,
the grasslands are filled with stunning wildflower displays in a setting of majestic oaks.
Significant prehistoric Native American occupation is evidenced by numerous mortar holes worn
into the rocks.
 Unique
to this area is a true arroyo (a steep walled canyon with a flat-floored streambed)
that has been shaped by a seasonal stream. Crossing the western portion is Roosevelt
Creek, known for the hanging gardens of its upper reaches where the creek flows
through a slot canyon cut into solid bedrock nearly thirty feet deep, the sheer
walls no more than eight feet apart in places. From these walls drips perennial
groundwater, nurturing a beautiful natural arrangement of delicate ferns, flowers
and other flora.
For additional information, please contact:
Ventana Wilderness Alliance
P.O. Box 506
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Phone: (831) 423-3191
Email: wilderness@ventanawild.org
www.ventanawild.org
Or:
Dave Westman
Sierra Club
827 Broadway, Suite 310
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 622-0290 X220
Email: dave.westman@sierraclub.org
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Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
