San Gorgonio Wilderness Association

San Gorgonio Wilderness Association (SGWA) is a volunteer driven organization that works in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service to preserve and protect your public lands through service and education. Each year up to 200 volunteers donate over 27,000 hours of time in maintaining the San Gorgonio Wilderness and the surrounding San Bernardino National Forest. 

Modern research has shown that people from all walks of life and all communities - children and families, veterans, senior citizens, harried college students, and even pets - benefit from spending time outdoors, especially while enjoying clean air and a quiet surrounding.

During the year SGWA volunteers interact with and provide information about the area to over 100,000 visitors, thereby increasing public knowledge and enjoyment of the forest and Wilderness while contributing to visitor safety. 

Interpretive programs at Greyback Amphitheater, Barton Flat Visitor Center, Big Falls and Thurman Flat Recreation Areas, and area camps provide education and hands on activities related to local natural and cultural history, geology, and archaeology, plus astronomy, Leave No Trace, outdoor recreation and more. Hundreds of families and other visitors to the mountains benefit from these free program each year. Every August SGWA also sponsors a one day multi-organization Forest Festival which is enjoyed by upwards of 500 mountain visitors who participate in such activities as gold panning, native plant discovery, nature games and crafts, and Junior Naturalist programs, along with photo opportunities with Smokey Bear. This event, too, is offered at no charge.

Additionally, SGWA supports an annual Fishing Festival at Jenks Lake, where 100 children from disadvantaged situations in urban areas are provided transportation to the lake for a one day fishing experience with knowledgeable fishermen. The children also experience interpretive programs, design nature crafts, have lunch and receive commemorative shirts. This year SGWA is also implementing education programs in the classroom of local schools to encourage children from a young age to learn and be excited about nature-beginning in their own neighborhoods. 

Since mid-July, when areas of the Wilderness which had been closed since 2015 due to the Lake Fire were reopened, SGWA trail crews have spent hundreds of hours working to restore the trails.  This is a daunting task that will require many more hours of work for several years. Additionally, volunteers continue to maintain and patrol all trails in the San Gorgonio Wilderness and in the Cucamonga Wilderness, as well, helping to ensure trails and the people who enjoy them are safe.

Through this campaign and #GivingTuesday, your donation offers support for volunteers in the form of tools, safety equipment, teaching materials, radios, identifying T-shirts, training and certifications, and recognition. The support of volunteers is required to ensure the continuation of trail and interpretive activities that a diverse group of people enjoy and depend on. Especially in this time of diminishing funds in the National Forest Service, monetary support to SGWA is imperative to the preservation of your local public lands.