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The Deserts of California
The deserts of California include the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran
Desert. California's deserts are mostly located in
Imperial County, Inyo county, Riverside County, San Bernardino
County, and San Diego County.
National Parks in the California Desert
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
Mojave Desert National Preserve
State Parks in the California Desert
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland
Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve (in PMSRA)
Mojave Desert Information Center
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
Picacho State Recreation Area
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Saddleback Butte State Park
Salton Sea State Recreation Area
Tomo-Kahni State Historical Park
Mojave Desert
25,000 square miles
Largest desert in California
Long stretches of sandy soil
Extenct volcanic cones
Small mountain ranges
Includes western Antelope Valley
Death Valley
Located in the Mojave Desert
130 miles long and 6-14 miles wide
Badwater is lowest point in western Hemisphere
282 feet below sea level
Sonoran Desert
Straddles Mexico, Arizona, California borders
One of the largest and hottest deserts in N America
Total area 120,000 square miles
Known for Saguaro catus
Colorado Desert
Part of Sonoran Desert
4000 square miles
Lowest points are 245 feet below sea level
Part of a depression extending to Gulf of California
Includes Coachella and Imperial Valleys
Also the Salten Sea thatlies between them
Salton sea formed in 1905-2907 when colorado river overflowed
Irrigation supports agriculture in this area
Lettuce, alfalfa, cotton, sugar beets
Palm Springs is in this area
Federal Bureau of Land Management Public Lands
Afton Canyon Natural Area
Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Bradshaw Trail
Calico Early Man Site
Coachella Valley Preserve
Corn Springs Campground
Desert Tortoise Natural Area
Dos Palmas Preserve
Dumont Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Area
El Mirage Off-Highway Vehicle Area
Harper Dry Lake
Historic Salt Creek Mining District
Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area
Inscription Canyon: Black Mountain Rock Art District
Ivanpah Dry Lake
Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area
Juniper Flats
McCain Valley
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Palms to Pines Scenic Byway
Rademacher Hills Trail
Rainbow Basin Natural Area
Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area
Sand Canyon
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains NM
Short Canyon
Spangler Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area
Stoddard Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area
Trona Pinnacles
USFWS National Wildlife Refuges
Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
San Bernardino County Regional Parks
Calico Ghost Town
Moabi Regional Park
Mojave Narrows Regional Park
Riverside County Regional Parks
Collis Mayflower Park
Lake Cahuilla Park
Federal Bureau of Land Management Wilderness Areas
Argus Range Wilderness
Big Maria Mountains Wilderness
Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness
Bighorn Mountain Wilderness
Black Mountain Wilderness
Bright Star Wilderness
Bristol Mountains Wilderness
Cadiz Dunes Wilderness
Carrizo Gorge Wilderness
Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness
Chimney Peak Wilderness
Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness
Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness
Clipper Mountain Wilderness
Coso Range Wilderness
Coyote Mountains Wilderness
Darwin Falls Wilderness
Dead Mountains Wilderness
El Paso Mountains Wilderness
Fish Creek Wilderness
Funeral Mountains Wilderness
Golden Valley Wilderness
Grass Valley Wilderness
Hollow Hills Wilderness
Ibex Wilderness
Indian Pass Wilderness
Inyo Mountains Wilderness
Jacumba Wilderness
Kelso Dunes Wilderness
Kiavah Wilderness
Kingston Range Wilderness
Little Chuckwalla Mountains
Little Picacho Wilderness
Malpais Mesa Wilderness
Manly Peak Wilderness
Mecca Hills Wilderness
Mesquite Wilderness
Newberry Mountains Wilderness
Nopah Range Wilderness
North Algodones Sand Dunes Wilderness
North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness
Old Woman Mountain Wilderness
Orocopia Mountains Wilderness
Owens Peak Wilderness Area
Pahrump Valley Wilderness
Palen McCoy Wilderness
Palo Verde Mountains Wilderness
Picacho Peak Wilderness
Piper Mountain Wilderness
Piute Mountains Wilderness
Resting Spring Range Wilderness
Rice Valley Wilderness
Riverside Mountains Wilderness
Rodman Mountains Wilderness
Sacatar Trail Wilderness
Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness
San Gorgonio Additions Wilderness
Santa Rosa Additions Wilderness
Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
Sheephole Valley Wilderness
South Nopah Range Wilderness
Stateline Wilderness
Stepladder Mountains Wilderness
Surprise Canyon Wilderness
Sylvania Mountains Wilderness
Turtle Mountains Wilderness
Whipple Mountains Wilderness
Wilderness Trilobite Wilderness
California State Fish and Game Wilderness Areas
Camp Cady Wildlife Area
Imperial Wildlife Area
Kelso Peak and Old Dad Mountains Wildlife Area
Marble Mountains Wildlife Area
Mojave River Hatchery
San Jacinto Wildlife Area
Santa Rosa Wildlife Area
Low Desert of California
The low desert of California is a common name for the
Colorado Desert/Sonora Desert area. It
includes the Coachella Valley communities of
Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Borrego Springs, Indian Wells,
Cathedral City, and Indio. It also includes part of Joshua Tree National
Park.
High Desert of California
The area of California typically referred to as the high desert
is the Mojave Desert in the north, which includes most of San Bernardino County, the northeast portion
of Los Angeles County, and the eastern part of Kern County.
The largest towns in the area include
Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Lancaster, Palmdale,
Phelan, Quartz Hill, and Victorville.
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Related Links
The Natural Wonders of California
Activities in California
Tourist Attractions in California
California for Visitors
Elsewhere on the Web
The Wilderness Society - The California Desert
CaliforniaDesert.gov
Mojave Desert in the Google Directory
Sonoran Desert in the Google Directory
California Desert Protection Act (1990's)
California Desert Conservation Area
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