Introduction
The United States Congress designated the Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness (
map) in 1994 and it now has a total of
14,645 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Description
The Biglow Cholla Garden Wilderness lies in the northern end of the Sacramento Mountains. The mountains consist of very dark, highly eroded volcanic rock. Elevations range from 1,400 feet to 3,314 feet atop Bannock Peak. The vegetation types are predominantly creosote bush desert scrub and desert wash scrub. The densest concentration of Bigelow cholla cactus in the California Desert is found within the wilderness and the surrounding area. Wildlife is typical for the Mojave Desert; including coyote, black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail, roadrunners, rattlesnakes, and several species of lizards. The area provides habitat for migrating desert bighorn sheep, and the western half of the wilderness area provides critical habitat for the threatened desert tortoise.
