Formerly known as the High Sierra Primitive Area, the
California Wilderness Act of 1984 created the Monarch Wilderness and became part of the
National Wilderness Preservation System. The Monarch Wilderness offers over 30 miles of trails with sweeping views of Kings Canyon and some classic high Sierra backcountry, as well as descents into the canyon itself. With dramatic elevation changes the vegetation ranges from chaparral and sub-alpine to alpine - covering about every species of tree known in this part of the Sierra, and then transforming into pure granite above the treeline. The remote Monarch Wilderness offers the chance to walk alone among Giant Sequoias and hike up to the isolated and wild Grizzly Lakes area. Above Upper Grizzly Lake you can scramble up the granite and access the spectacular Monarch Divide. Within the Sequoia National Forest section of the Monarch there is only one main lake, Grizzly Lake, which offers beautiful views, access to the sublime heights of the Monarch Divide and a much more remote camping experience. The Boulder Creek drainage cuts through parts of the southern section of the Monarch and is the main water source in that area. But many creeks in the Monarch often run dry in the hot summer months. There are three trailheads that offer entry into the wilderness: Deer Cove, Kennedy Meadow and Deer Meadow. NOTE: Parts of this wilderness area were heavily affected by the 2015 Rough Fire and have only recently been reopened to the public, while others remain closed. Adjacent to the wilderness are several roadless areas: Kings Range Special Management Area (SMA), Agnew Roadless Area and the Oat Mountain Roadless Area. The name Monarch Wilderness Complex includes the wilderness proper and these adjacent lands for a total size of . The wilderness portion is separated into north and south units by the corridor of
State Route 180. The larger northern half has the South and Middle Forks of the
Kings River. The Middle Fork is a rugged area with a steep
gorge about deep. From the river the Tombstone Ridge rises to an elevation of at the summit of The Obelisk. Major
tributaries in the north unit are Tombstone Creek and Silver Creek. Also in the north unit is the Monarch Divide, crowned by peaks such as Wren Peak (),
Mount Harrington (), and an unnamed high point summit at . The lowest and highest elevations in the north unit are separated by as much as of
relief. The south unit was formerly a part of the Agnew Roadless Area and contains groves of
giant sequoia including the Agnew Grove which is one of the few groves in the Sierra outside the boundaries of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. Native species of rare plants include
Congdon's lewisia (
Lewisia congdonii), state-listed as rare in 1982 and the
Tehipite Valley jewelflower (
Streptanthus fenestratus). Also the
woollyhead lessingia (
Lessingia hololeuca) and
Hall's daisy (
Erigeron aequifolius), both of the
Aster family. == Kings River Special Management Area ==