Turtle Mountains (California)
| Turtle Mountains | |
|---|---|
 (view due east) Turtle Mountains at left across Ward Valley & Danby Lake. (view from southeast Iron Mountains) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 960 ft (290 m) |
| Coordinates | 34°17′10″N 114°51′3″W / 34.28611°N 114.85083°W |
| Geography | |
  Turtle Mountains Location of the Turtle Mountains in southeastern California[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| District | USGS Mopah Peaks |
| Type | NNL [2] |
| Date | 1973 |
The Turtle Mountains (Amat 'Achii'ar in the Mojave language),[3] are located in northeastern San Bernardino County, in the southeastern part of California. The colorful Turtle Mountains vary from deep reds, browns, tans and grays, to black. The area has numerous springs and seeps. The Turtle Mountains are also a National Natural Landmark, with two mountain sections of entirely different composition.
Geography
The Turtle Mountains are 30 miles (48 km) southwest of
The range is directly west of and connected with the Mopah Range.[5] They lie in a north–south direction east of Ward Valley and the Old Woman Mountains. They are west of the Whipple Mountains and Colorado River. The Turtle Mountains reach an elevation of 4,231 feet (1,290 m) above sea level at Bolson Peak. They are a registered National Natural Landmark in recognition of their exceptional natural values.[6]
Geology
The Turtle Mountains are one of several ranges that constitute the
Wilderness
Established in 1994 by the U.S. Congress, the Turtle Mountains Wilderness ranges from broad bajadas to highly eroded volcanic peaks, spires, and cliffs. The 177,309 acre
Natural history
The Turtle Mountains are located in an ecological transition zone between the
Dominant vegetation in the Turtle Mountains Wilderness Area consists of the creosote bush-bur sage with
Wildlife species include desert bighorn sheep, coyote, black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail, roadrunners, golden eagles, prairie falcons, rattlesnakes, the desert tortoise[9] and several species of lizards.[6]
Recreation
References
- ^ "Turtle Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ "Turtle Mountains Natural Area". nps.gov. National Park Service.
- ^ Munro, P.; et al. (1992). A Mojave Dictionary. Los Angeles: UCLA.
- ^ "California map" (PDF). BLM. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ Parker, Arizona–California, 30x60 Minute Topographic Quad, USGS, 1985
- ^ a b c "California report". BLM. Archived from the original on 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ Turtle Mountains Wilderness - Wilderness Connect
- ^ Hogan, C. Michael (2009). Stromberg, Nicklas (ed.). "California Fan Palm: Washingtonia filifera". GlobalTwitcher.com. Archived from the original on 2009-09-30.
- ^ Farah, Troy (2021-01-18). "Trump administration proposes 11th-hour plan to strip California desert protections". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
Reference books
- Allan, Stuart (2005). California Road and Recreation Atlas. ISBN 0-929591-80-1.
External links
- Turtle Mountains Wilderness - BLM
- BLM Turtle Mountains Wilderness Map
- Turtle Mountains Wilderness photographs