Amazon Ad



Amazon Ad


The Deserts of California

There are approximately 25,000 square miles of desert inn California and those can be divided into two regions: the Mojave High Desert and the Sonoran Low Desert. There are two desert national parks in California, Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park. California's largest state park is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the East Majave National Reserve is also located in the California Desert. California's deserts are located in portions of Imperial County, Inyo county, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County.
- 25,000 square miles - Death Valley (off road exploring - Mojave (ghost towns and mines) - Mojave National Preserve (red sand dunes, cinder cones) - Joshua Tree 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.

    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

    See also
    Other Natural Attractions in California
    Other Attractions in California
    California Travel Guide



  • California Wall Calendars Amazon Ad


    California Topics: About | Alameda County | Alpine County | Amador County | Activities | Attractions | Beach Cities | Beverly Hills | Butte County | Calaveras County | Catalina Island | Colusa County | Contra Costa County | Del Norte County | Dining | Disneyland | El Dorado County | Fresno County | Glenn County | Gold Country | Humboldt County | Imperial County | Inyo County | Kern County | Kings County | Lake County | Lassen County | Long Beach | Los Angeles County | Events | Hollywood | Lodging | Madera County | Marin County | Marina del Rey | Mariposa County | Mendocino County | Merced County | Modoc County | Mono County | Monterey County | Napa County | Nevada County | Orange County | Palm Springs | Redwoods | Placer County | Plumas County | Recipes | Riverside County | Sacramento County | San Benito County | San Bernardino County | San Diego County | San Francisco County | San Joaquin County | San Luis Obispo County | San Mateo County | Santa Barbara County | Santa Clara County | Santa Cruz County | Shasta County | Sierra County | Siskiyou County | Solano County | Solvang | Sonoma County | Stanislaus County | Sutter County | Tehama County ! Tourism | Transportation | Trinity County | Tulare County | Tuolumne County | Venice Beach | Ventura County | Wine Country | Yolo County | Yosemite | Yuba County
    Recreation
    Tap Dancing Resources
    SkateLog.com
    SkateLog Forum
    Scuba Doll
    Hawaiian Music

    Web Site Editor
    Kathie Fry Dot Com
    Pictures of Kathie
    Venice Beach Skating
    U.S. States
    California for Visitors
    Hawaii for Visitors
    Continental Travel
    Do It In Africa
    Do It In Asia
    Do It In Europe
    Do It In Oceania
    Do It In The Americas