The Wildlands Conservancy’s Sand to Snow Preserve System is the largest nonprofit preserve system in Southern California totaling over 33,000 acres. The Preserve System has a Sonoran Desert preserve at Mission Creek, a Mojave Desert preserve near Pioneertown, a riparian preserve at Whitewater River, an oak woodland preserve in Oak Glen, and a conifer forest preserve near Forest Falls. These preserves are connected by a vast network of public land leading into the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

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Sand to Snow Map

The Wildlands Conservancy donated an additional 29,000 acres of private inholdings to conservation agencies to enhance wildlife corridors and to connect seven designated wilderness areas, including The Wildlands Conservancy's 20,000-acre Pipes Canyon wilderness. The Sand to Snow Preserve System was created with the cooperation of the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, National Forest Service, California State Parks, Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, Friends of the Desert Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust, and The Wildlands Conservancy. These public and nonprofit agencies recognize that these multi-jurisdictional lands are a seamless tapestry of land and life forms, and provide inspirational recreational opportunities.

Each preserve has a trailhead, picnic area and group campground that are open to the public at no charge, subject to land management restrictions. From these five preserves, The Wildlands Conservancy operates and funds free outdoor education programs for more than 20,000 children each year. The Sand to Snow Preserve System rises from diverse cactus and creosote bush arroyos at Mission Creek to the alpine 9,300-foot Galena Peak, and is one of the most biologically diverse nonprofit preserves in North America. The preserve system includes the largest mountain meadows in Southern California and is replete with rare and endangered species.