Introduction
The United States Congress designated the North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness (
map) in 1994 and it now has a total of
28,955 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness is bordered by
the
Kingston Range Wilderness to the west and the
Mesquite Wilderness to the east and south.
Description
The North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness consists of the broad western end of Sandy Valley and the northern portion of Mesquite Mountains. Rolling brown foothills, a few steeper mountains, and medium sized buttes comprise the reddish-brown geologic features in the wilderness. Vegetation of this area is characteristic of the mid-elevations of the eastern Mojave Desert. Dominant vegetation includes creosote brush scrub, blackbush, Joshua tree woodland, yucca, cacti, and some grasses. Wildlife is also typical for the Mojave Desert; including coyote, black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail, roadrunners, rattlesnakes and several species of lizards. Due to the lack of natural waters, bighorn sheep do not inhabit the area on a permanent basis but do transverse the area. The southern tip of the wilderness provides critical habitat for the desert tortoise.
