San Carpoforo Addition to the Silver Peak Wilderness
 The
San Carpoforo addition to the Silver Peak Wilderness is characterized by rugged
live oak forest and chaparral-covered mountainsides, accented with deep riparian
canyons and an impressive amount of open rolling grassland dotted with blue
and valley oaks.
Size: Approximately 8,235 acres.
Managing agencies: Monterey District, Los Padres National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management
Description: Most of the San Carpoforo addition lies within
the watershed of San Carpoforo Creek and its main tributaries, Dutra Creek,
Wagner Creek and Chris Flood Creek. It is characterized by rugged live oak forest
and chaparral-covered mountainsides, and accented with deep canyons and an impressive
expanse of open, rolling grassland dotted with blue and valley oaks. Elevations
range from 670' above sea level where San Carpoforo Creek flows over the county
line onto Hearst Ranch property to over 2,700' along the Coast Ridge.
This addition supports many different kinds of plant communities, including riparian
environments dominated by red alder, California sycamore, and big leaf maple; brushlands dominated by
chamise, ceanothus, manzanita, coast live oak, and gray pine; and mixed hardwood forest consisting of
coast live oak and interior live oak. An extensive grove of Santa Lucia fir grows in the upper San Carpoforo
canyon. This occurrence in the San Carpoforo canyon is very near the southern limit of the species.
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, 
