Bighorn Mountain Wilderness
Introduction
The United States Congress designated the Bighorn Mountain Wilderness (
map) in 1994 and it now has a total of
38,342 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.
Description
The north-central portion of this Wilderness area holds the rugged Bighorn Mountains and the eastern foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. It presents a rare transition zone between the yucca- and Joshua tree-covered desert floor and stands of Jeffrey pine in the higher country. The Bighorns lift all the way to 7,500 feet on Granite Peak. Mule deer, mountain lions, and bobcats make their homes here, and golden eagles soar in the bright skies. The intermittent creekbed through Rattlesnake Canyon travels northward and divides the Wilderness into distinct eastern and western sections. Numerous resident and migratory birds are in abundance here. A third section lies to the southeast of the two larger sections. The three sections are separated by non-Wilderness corridors. The western portion of the western section reaches into San Bernardino National Forest.
