Mojave Trails National Monument

Mojave Trails National Monument is a large U.S. National Monument located in the state of California between Interstates 15 and 40.[1] It partially surrounds the Mojave National Preserve. It was designated by President Obama on February 12, 2016 along with Castle Mountains National Monument and Sand to Snow National Monument.[2] It is under the control of the Bureau of Land Management.

Mojave Trails and other new National Monuments, Mojave desert, 2016
Mojave Trails National Monument
Cadiz Dunes, Mojave Trails NM
LocationSan Bernardino County, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°36′N 116°00′W
Area1,600,000 acres (650,000 ha)
AuthorizedFebruary 12, 2016 (2016-Feb-12)
Governing bodyBureau of Land Management
WebsiteMojave Trails National Monument

Features

Like the Mojave National Preserve, Mojave Trails National Monument contains mountain ranges, volcanic features, and sand dunes. Mojave Trails National Monument is the largest national monument in the contiguous United States and so far is almost entirely undeveloped. Four wilderness areas are within the monument: Trilobite, Clipper Mountain, Piute Mountains and Bigelow Cholla Garden.

The most visited area in Mojave Trails National Monument is Amboy Crater, a cinder cone extinct volcano, which was a popular sight for travelers in the heyday of route 66 from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Another area with developed recreation facilities is Afton Canyon, one of only two places where the 140-mile long Mojave River continuously flows above the ground. Afton Canyon has steep rock walls that earned it the nickname of “Grand Canyon of the Mojave”.

One of the most remote areas in the monument consists of the nearly pristine Cadiz Dunes, which are orange-pink and unvegetated. They formed from the sand of dry lake beds.[3]

Cultural resources in Mojave Trails National Monument include 105 miles of historic U.S. Route 66, from Needles to Ludlow, the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of Route 66, and some of the best preserved sites from the World War II-era Desert Training Center.

References
  1. Sahagun, Louis (February 11, 2016). "Obama creates 3 new national monuments to protect 1.8 million acres of California desert". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  2. Eilperin, Juliet. "The Washington Post" (February 12, 2016). Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  3. A Monumental Addition in California


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