The Golden Trout Wilderness covers 457 mi2 in the rugged forested part of the southern Sierra Nevada. It is bounded on the east by Owens Valley, on the north by Sequoia National Park, and on the west and south by U.S. Forest Service multiple-use lands. The east side of the area is accesible from U.S. Highway 395, while the remainder is reached by state, county, and Forest Service roads from the San Joaquin Valley.