It lies to the east of the crest of the central Sierra Nevada in California, to the north and east of Yosemite National Park - a long strip stretching nearly to Sonora Pass on the north and Tioga Pass on the south.

The headwaters of the East Walker River begin in the Hoover Wilderness.

The Hoover Wilderness was originally designated as a Primitive Area by the Forest Service in 1931.

The Hoover Wilderness was the setting of Camping Adventure, a children's book published in 1976 by the National Geographic Society as part of its "Books for Young Explorers" series.

Notable locations in the Hoover Wilderness include: