The Thousand Lakes Wilderness is located within the southern portion of the Cascade Range in northeastern California.

The area lies within Shasta County, midway between the town of Burney and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

The area is dominated by Crater Peak (8677 ft), the highest point in the Lassen National Forest.

Despite its name, there are considerably fewer than a thousand lakes—about seven major lakes lie within the wilderness.

Wildlife includes black-tailed deer, black bear, pika, pine marten, northern goshawk, spotted owl, pileated woodpecker, and Clark's nutcracker.