Bureau of Land Management
Far from from the barren and hostile wastelands often conjured by the imagination, the deserts of California are teaming with life and natural beauty. The stark landscapes, unique wildlife, and abundant recreation opportunities of Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks and the Mojave National Preserve draw millions of visitors every year. These protected areas are just the beginning of what the California desert has to offer. Here are five other amazing desert wonders that can be found outside the existing national parks and preserves.
1. Wildflowers -- Yes, wildflowers in the desert! Though highly dependent on weather conditions, spring in the desert can be a riot of color. Purple lupines, brilliant yellows of brittlebrush, and pink blooms of the prickly pear cactus create a beautiful color display against a stark mountain backdrop. The area also hosts desert marigold, sand verbena, desert primrose, desert sunflowers, and many other varieties of flowering plants.
2. Fossils -- Among the many archeological and scientific wonders of the desert are the Mojave’s Marble Mountain Fossil Beds. The 550-million-year-old rock formation is one of the best-known trilobite fossil sites.
3. History -- See the progression of human history through Native American archaeological sites, Western American and mining sites, including an obsidian source, petroglyphs, the gold mining ghost town of Hart, and the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of historic Route 66 in the country.
4. Lions, tigers and bears -- Well, mountain lions and black bears at least. In addition to desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, and gila monsters typically found in the desert, the convergence of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, inland valleys and mountain environments creates a unique wildlife hotspot. This hotspot supports a tremendous diversity of birds and animals, including golden eagles, mule deer, several types of bats, and bobcats.
5. Skiing -- Cross country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking along the Pacific Coast Trail are just a few of the recreation opportunities offered by the California desert. At lower altitudes visitors can participate in a long list of outdoor activities ranging from horseback riding to backpacking and camping, to fishing and birdwatching. Even the novice is unlikely to pass up the opportunity for nature photography.
Unfortunately the desert that hosts these wonders is being squeezed by the fast-growing regions of southern California and southern Nevada. To preserve these desert lands, proposals are currently on the table to designate them as the Sand to Snow, Castle Mountains, and Mojave Trails national monuments. Such a designation would secure existing uses while safeguarding the natural world that inspires it all.
TAKE ACTION: Please join us in calling on President Obama to permanently protect California’s special desert lands.