Introduction
The United States Congress designated the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness (
map) in 2002 and it now has a total of
6,050 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
Nevada and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Description
The Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness is a flat but gently sloping alluvial plain dominated by creosote, blackbrush, and its namesake, a dense stand of Joshua trees. The area is also the home of desert tortoise and an unusually diverse group of cavity nesting birds and birds finding winter refuge. There is a single designated trail, approximatley 3 miles long, located along the southern boundary of the Wilderness. The trail is a former wagon road known as the "Eldorado Trail" which served the mining areas in the Eldorado Mountains near Nelson, NV further east. Look for the trail at a highway pullout on the north side of highway 164 and approximately 11.5 miles west of Searchlight, NV.
