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Arrow
Canyon is a medium sized (27,530 acres) wilderness area with elevations that
range from about 2,000 to 5,200 feet. The area includes the northern
Arrow Range and bajadas and canyons east of there. The west face of the
range, a grand fault scarf with dramatic bands of quartzite and
limestone, is one of the most scenic ranges in southern Nevada. The
eastern boundary runs along Arrow Canyon, which for 3 miles is confined
in a gorge so deep and narrow that sunlight rarely reaches the bottom.
The area is thick with Bighorn sheep. There are interesting and unusual
petroglyphs along Pahranagat Wash and in Arrow Canyon. |
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Black Canyon is a medium-sized (17,220 acres) wilderness area with steep volcanic
cliffs that border the Colorado River. The cliffs are cut by deep
canyons, some of which contain hot springs. Elevations are relatively
low, ranging only from about 600 to 3,000 feet. Archaeological and old
mining artifacts can be found within the area. Bighorn sheep are fairly
common in the mountains, and desert tortoise use the bajadas. |
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Bridge
Canyon is a small (7,761 acres) wilderness area located in the rugged Newberry
Mountains. Granite outcrops, huge boulders, and narrow canyons dominate
the landscape; elevations rise to 5,600 feet. Springs and seeps provide
water to wildlife in the area. |
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El
Dorado is a medium-sized wilderness area (31,950 acres) at the
north end of the El Dorado Mountains. Elevations range from
peaks at 3800 feet to 650 feet along the
Colorado River. The area is sparsely-vegetated. The west side
is gently-rolling hills and valleys, while the east side
is rugged peaks and ridges cut by wide washes and narrow
canyons. The
mountains are volcanic, but the basement rock is an ancient metamorphic
rock. Except for the washes, the surface of the entire area is strewn
with reddish-brown boulders covered in desert varnish. The name "El
Dorado" refers to the legendary city of gold, and evidence
of mining can be found here. Springs provide water for
wildlife. |
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Ireteba
Peaks is a large (32,745) wilderness area in a region of colorful
landscapes, diverse geologic landforms, and grand
vistas across
Lake Mohave. The land is dominated by Ireteba Peaks Ridge, which is
the southern end of the El Dorado mountains and runs parallel to Lake
Mohave. Elevations reach 5,060 feet. The east side of the ridge is
cut by steep, short canyons that quickly drop onto a broad bajada,
which in turn runs at a gentle grade to the Lake Mohave
at elevations of 650 feet. Vegetation is dominated by
creosote bush, bursage, yucca, barrel cactus, and a
few other low-growing shrubs and grasses, including teddybear cholla. |
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Jimbilnan is a medium-sized wilderness area (18,879 acres) that includes the
northeastern end of the Black Mountains, a series of rugged, rocky
volcanic mountains (elevations to 3,025 ft) that are orientated
northeast-southwest. The Black Mountains record considerable igneous
activity, which was followed by fracturing and the intrusion of
colorful dike material. The Black Mountains are cut by deep canyons and
washes that flow southeast into the Overton Arm of Lake Mead (about
1,280 ft elevation). South of the Black Mountains, the colorful land
slopes gently for several miles to the Lake. This is wild, remote, and
rugged country out on the eastern end of Lake Mead. |
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Jumbo
Springs is a small (4,631 acres) wilderness area, measuring only 1.5 by 3.5
miles. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in remote,
sparsely-vegetated, rugged granitic ridges and
canyons on the far east end of Lake Mead. The area sits on the
southeast side of Jumbo Peak, uphill from the boundary of Lake Mead
National Recreation Area. Three major washes cut across
the area and drain east and south towards the lake.
Elevations range from
4,700 feet on the northwest side to 2,700 feet in the
southeast. The area offers grand views of Lake Mead and the lower
reaches of
the Grand Canyon. Water can be found in springs and in the granite,
water-polished potholes in Cottonwood Spring. |
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La
Madre Mountains is a large wilderness area (47,180 acres) that includes the entire La
Madre Range, rugged gray carbonate ridges and
vertical cliffs that form the northern view at Red Rock Canyon,
plus part of the Spring Mountains crest. The highest
point (9,425 feet) is on the crest of the Spring Mountains
south of Griffith Peak. The most prominent feature is La Madre Peak,
which stands at 8,154 feet. The lowest elevations are 3,900
feet on bajadas at the edge of Las Vegas. The area supports
bighorn sheep and protects archaeological sites. The flora is
diverse, ranging from dry Mojave Desert scrub on the lower slopes to
montane forests at the highest elevations where snow lingers far into
the spring. |
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Lime
Canyon is a medium sized (23,233 acres) wilderness area that includes a long,
carbonate ridge (elevations to 4,406 feet), deep canyons
that cut through the ridge, and desert bajadas that overlook the
Overton Arm of Lake Mead (elevations to 1,475 feet). The geology of the
area is complex, but the main feature is a system of hogback ridges
resulting from tilted and uplifted sedimentary rocks. The uplift blocked
existing drainage systems, but new drainages cut through the ridge,
making for narrow canyons and odd geologic structures. The ridges are
rocky and sparsely vegetated with Mojave Desert scrub
species including barrel cactus. The canyons are richly vegetated
with shrubs and cryptobiotic crusts. |
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Mt.
Charleston is a large (56,600 acres) wilderness area that includes the highest
peak in southern Nevada (Mt. Charleston at 11,918 feet), and
all of the
higher elevations in the Spring Mountains. These mountains are rugged,
with towering carbonate
cliffs, steep hillsides, and deep narrow canyons. The summit ridges are
barren, but the lower ridges and slopes are cloaked in a forest of
ancient bristlecone pine. Lower down, ponderosa
pine and white fir provide habitat for the Palmer's chipmunk, a species
occurring only in the Spring Mountains. Lower, a
pinyon-juniper woodland dominates the landscape. Rocky
Mountain elk can be seen near Cold Creek. Snowmelt and a few springs
provide water for wildlife. |
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Muddy
Mountains is a large wilderness area (48,019 acres) that includes the west end of
the Muddy Mountain Range. The boundary follows the base of
the mountains at elevations ranging from about 2,500 to 3,300 feet,
staying west of Bitter Springs Road. The area includes Muddy Peak
(5,387 feet) and Peak 5432 (5,432 feet), the highest peaks in the
range.
The east end of the area includes Bitter Ridge, a block-fault
ridge with striking vertical cliffs standing up from the desert floor.
In the southern part of the area, tilted and folded sedimentary rocks
are cut by the Lovell Canyon Narrows, and fire-red Aztec sandstone
outcrops occur in the Bowl of Fire. Smaller sandstone outcrops occur in
the northeastern parts of the wilderness area. |
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Nellis
Wash is a small (16,423 acres)
wilderness area that includes bajadas on the northeastern slopes of the
Newberry Mountains. The western boundary follows legal lines and
captures two mountain sides with elevations to 3,515 feet.
Several washes, including Nellis Wash, drain the Newberrys, cross the
wilderness area, and flow into Lake Mohave (650 feet). The landform is
a gently sloping bajada leading to a steep, rugged ridge cut by deep
canyons (some 1,000 feet deep). The southern end of the wilderness area
has steep, nearly barren ridges separated by deep, well-vegetated
washes, while the northern end is a gently rolling bajada. Spirit
Mountain and the Newberry Mountains form a scenic background. |
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North
McCullough is a medium-sized (14,763 acres) wilderness area located on the
northwest side of the Northern McCullough Range. The wilderness area
essentially includes the entire drainage system on this side of the
range. The highest elevations are on the northern end of the main ridge
(about 5,100 feet) and on the ridge that runs northwest from the main
ridge (about 4,200 feet). The lowest elevations are where the main wash
flows north and crosses the wilderness area boundary (about 2,900
feet). Unlike most mountain ranges around Las Vegas, the Northern
McCulloughs are volcanic. |
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Pinto
Valley is a large (39,173 acres) wilderness area located on the north edge of
Lake Mead. This is a wild and geologically complex country composed of
volcanic, carbonate, sandstone, and clastic sedimentary rocks, all
stirred together by major fault systems and cut by major drainages. The
southern part of the area is the volcanic Black Mountains (several
peaks around 3,300 feet), while the northern part is titled carbonate
ridges (peaks to about 3,000 feet) with sandstone outcrops. Springs
provide water for bighorn and other wildlife. The vegetation generally
is sparse Mojave Desert scrub, dominated by creosote bush and bursage,
with cottonwood, mesquite, and acacia, and other shrubs in the washes. |
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Rainbow
Mountain is a medium-sized (24,997 acres) wilderness area that includes the red
and white sandstone cliffs, rugged canyons, and limestone
peaks on the western edge of Red Rock Canyon. Elevations range
from 4,100 feet to 7,070 feet at the
summit of Wilson Mountain. The sandstone cliffs are overthrust by gray
limestone that forms the top of the ridge behind the escarpment. The
base of the cliffs generally is typical Mojave Desert
scrub, but ponderosa pines occur at the mouths of some canyons. The
sandstone summits typically are barren, but behind
them, ridges
support an extensive pinyon-juniper forest. There is a considerable
amount of rock art in the area. Springs and potholes provide water for
wildlife. |
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South
McCullough is a large (44,252 acres) wilderness area that includes most of the
Southern McCullough Mountain Range and a large bajada on the western
side. The Southern McCulloughs are formed of old metamorphic rock, but
there is a bit of volcanic rock in the northern part of the wilderness
area. These peaks have had about 1.7 billion years to erode, and they
are more rounded than many in southern Nevada, but they still are
rugged and exceed 7,000 feet in height. McCullough Mountain is 7,026
feet tall. The base of the mountains are at about 3,300 feet on the
east side and 4,000-5,000 feet on the west side. Springs in the area
provide water for wildlife and early human inhabitants. |
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Spirit
Mountain is a large (33,518 acres) wilderness area that includes a portion of
the Newberry Mountains and mountainous country between there and Lake
Mohave. The wilderness area is named for Spirit Mountain, an imposing
monolith of white granite that is an important site for native peoples
of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts who consider it to be the center of
their creation. East of Spirit Mountain, there is a jumble of
metamorphic and granitic mountains, and deep canyons that run to Lake
Mohave. There are archaeological sites in the area, but not on Spirit
Mountain, proper. Springs and canyon potholes provides water for
wildlife. Elevations range from 5,639 feet at Spirit Mountain to about
2,100 feet at the lake. |
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Wee
Thump Joshua Tree is a small (6,050 acres) wilderness area that protects a dense,
old-growth forest of Joshua trees. The area is relatively flat and
slopes gently from west to east with elevations ranging from 1,250 to
1,500 feet. The wilderness area is entirely surrounded by dirt and
paved roads that give access to the far reaches of the forest and some
amazing views out over the forest towards Spirit Mountain to the
southeast. Gilded Flickers (flickers with yellow wing lining) can be
found here. |
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