Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness

The Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness is in the eastern Mojave Desert and within Mojave Trails National Monument, located in San Bernardino County, California.[2]

Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
LocationMojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California
Nearest cityNeedles
Coordinates34°50′08″N 114°53′23″W[1]
Area14,645 acres (59.27 km2)
Established1994
Governing bodyBureau of Land Management

Geography

The wilderness lies in the northern end of the Sacramento Mountains, east of the Piute Mountains and 18 miles (29 km) west of Needles, California, along Interstate 40 as its northern border. The wilderness covers approximately 14,645 acres (5,927 ha). Elevations range from 1,400 to 3,314 feet (427 to 1,010 m) at the top of the Sacramento range's Bannock Peak.[3]

Flora and fauna

In the wilderness area the vegetation types are predominantly of the creosote bush scrub plant community. The densest concentration of Bigelow cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) in all California's deserts is found within the wilderness area and the surrounding terrain.

Wildlife is typical for the Mojave Desert; including coyote, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrel, kangaroo rat, quail, roadrunner, rattlesnakes, and several species of lizards. The area provides habitat for migrating desert bighorn sheep. The western half of the wilderness area provides critical habitat for the threatened desert tortoise.

References
  1. "Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
  2. U.S. Dept. of Interior.gov: Map of Mojave Trails National Monument, with Wilderness Areas.
  3. "Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness". Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  • Part of this article incorporates text from the Bureau of Land Management, which is in the Public domain.
  • Allan, Stuart (2005). California Road and Recreation Atlas. Benchmark Maps. p. 107. ISBN 0-929591-80-1.


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