Introduction
The United States Congress designated the Sylvania Mountains Wilderness (
map) in 1994 and it now has a total of
18,682 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Sylvania Mountains Wilderness is bordered by
the
Piper Mountain Wilderness to the west and the
Death Valley Wilderness to the south.
Description
The Sylvania Mountains are shared by California and Nevada, and the Wilderness starts on the desert floor and rises eastward over gradually rolling hills to rough and mountainous terrain reaching nearly 8,000 feet in height. Sagebrush scrub dominates the vegetation on the east, and gives way to piñon pine and juniper at the higher elevations. From the higher country, you can look south over the Last Chance Range into Death Valley National Park, north across dry Fish Lake Valley, and west to Piper Mountain--the sheer immensity of the region is a humbling experience. You might see deer, chukar partridge, and bighorn sheep roaming about. You won't see trails or water.
