El Dorado Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Eldorado Mountains, also called the El Dorado Mountains, are a north-south trending mountain range in southeast Nevada
bordering west of the south-flowing Colorado River
; the endorheic
Eldorado Valley
borders the range to the west, and the range is also on the western border of the Colorado River's Black Canyon of the Colorado
, and El Dorado Canyon on the river. The range is 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Las Vegas
, Nevada; and the Eldorado Mountains connect with the Highland
and Newberry
mountains.
The name El Dorado is taken from the name of a legendary gold
mine, and the ghost town-mining location of Nelson
in Nelson Canyon, transects the central portion of the range. The Nelson Overlook is a viewing point over the Colorado River's El Doroado Canyon.
The mountain range contains the El Dorado Wilderness of 31950 acres (12,929.7 ha) in the north, where the southwest of the wilderness area is in the El Dorado Mountains. In the south, Ireteba Peaks Wilderness of 32745 acres (13,251.4 ha) is composed of the Ireteba Ridge at 5013 feet (1,528 m), that overlooks to the east, the northern portions of Lake Mohave
and the El Dorado Canyon. The high point of the El Dorado Mountains is Ireteba Peak at 5060 feet (1,542 m), which is named for the Mohave
Indian guide Ireteba.
Some communities associated with the range, are in the south, Searchlight
on US 95 and Cottonwood Cove
, on the river. Nelson is in the center of the range, and the nearest community north is Boulder City
.
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
bordering west of the south-flowing Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
; the endorheic
Endorheic
An endorheic basin is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans...
Eldorado Valley
Eldorado Valley
Eldorado Valley, or El Dorado Valley, is a Great Basin valley in the Mojave Desert southeast of Las Vegas and southwest of Boulder City, Nevada...
borders the range to the west, and the range is also on the western border of the Colorado River's Black Canyon of the Colorado
Black Canyon of the Colorado
The Black Canyon of the Colorado is the canyon on the Colorado River where Hoover Dam was built. The canyon is located on the Colorado River at the state line between Nevada and Arizona. The western wall of the gorge is in the El Dorado Mountains, and the eastern wall is in the Black Mountains of...
, and El Dorado Canyon on the river. The range is 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada; and the Eldorado Mountains connect with the Highland
Highland Mountains (Nevada)
The Highland Mountains in Nevada connect with the Eldorado and Newberry mountains....
and Newberry
Newberry Mountains (Nevada)
The Newberry Mountains in Nevada are located east of Cal-Nev-Ari and the United States Coast Guard LORAN station in the southern part of the state. The range is Nevada's southernmost named mountain range, and lies to the northwest of the town of Laughlin and west of Lake Mohave...
mountains.
The name El Dorado is taken from the name of a legendary gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mine, and the ghost town-mining location of Nelson
Nelson, Nevada
Nelson is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The community is in the Pacific Standard Time zone. The location of Nelson is in El Dorado Canyon, Eldorado Mountains...
in Nelson Canyon, transects the central portion of the range. The Nelson Overlook is a viewing point over the Colorado River's El Doroado Canyon.
The mountain range contains the El Dorado Wilderness of 31950 acres (12,929.7 ha) in the north, where the southwest of the wilderness area is in the El Dorado Mountains. In the south, Ireteba Peaks Wilderness of 32745 acres (13,251.4 ha) is composed of the Ireteba Ridge at 5013 feet (1,528 m), that overlooks to the east, the northern portions of Lake Mohave
Lake Mohave
Lake Mohave is a reservoir formed by Davis Dam on the Colorado River, which defines the border between Nevada and Arizona in the United States. The lake lies at an elevation of near Laughlin, Nevada, Searchlight, Nevada, Cottonwood Cove, Nevada, and Bullhead City, Arizona, about downstream from...
and the El Dorado Canyon. The high point of the El Dorado Mountains is Ireteba Peak at 5060 feet (1,542 m), which is named for the Mohave
Mohave
Mohave or Mojave are a Native American people indigenous to the Colorado River in the Mojave Desert. The Fort Mojave Indian Reservation includes parts of California, Arizona, and Nevada...
Indian guide Ireteba.
Some communities associated with the range, are in the south, Searchlight
Searchlight, Nevada
Searchlight is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, at the topographic saddle between two mountain ranges.-History:According to Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who has written extensively about his hometown, the most likely story as to how the town received its name was when George Frederick...
on US 95 and Cottonwood Cove
Cottonwood Cove, Nevada
Cottonwood Cove is situated at the banks of Lake Mohave on the Nevada-Arizona border in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It stands just 13.1 miles and 23 minutes east of historic Searchlight, 12.5 miles north of Laughlin and an hour away from Las Vegas. It's the site of the Cottonwood Cove...
, on the river. Nelson is in the center of the range, and the nearest community north is Boulder City
Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
.