Golden Valley Wilderness

Golden Valley Wilderness
Photo of the area
Map showing the location of Golden Valley Wilderness
Map showing the location of Golden Valley Wilderness
LocationSan Bernardino County, California
Nearest cityRidgecrest, California
Coordinates35°24′54″N 117°30′36″W / 35.415°N 117.510°W / 35.415; -117.510
Area37,786 acres (15,291 ha)
EstablishedOctober 31, 1994
Governing bodyU.S. Bureau of Land Management

Golden Valley Wilderness is a wilderness area located in San Bernardino County, California, near Ridgecrest. It covers 37,786 acres of the Mojave Desert, straddling both the Almond Mountains to the southeast and the Lava Mountains to the northwest in the Golden Valley. Steep canyons of sedimentary rocks line the valley walls, rising as much as 5,000 feet on Dome Mountain. In terms of wildlife, creosote bush scrub dominate the vegetation, while Joshua trees and wildflowers grow intermittently. The area also provides habitat for raptors, Mojave ground squirrels, and desert tortoises.[1][2]

The area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management Ridgecrest Field Office and was established as part of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994.[3]

  1. ^ "Visit Wilderness". wilderness.net. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Golden Valley Wilderness". www.blm.gov. Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  3. ^ "PUBLIC LAW 103-433—OCT. 31, 1994" (PDF). congress.gov. October 31, 1994. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.