Warm Springs Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The 112400 acres Warm Springs Wilderness makes up the entirety of the Black Mesa (western Arizona)
and parts of the surrounding foothills, washes, alluvial fan
s, and valleys. The Black Mesa is the southernmost section of the Black Mountains
of western Mohave County
, in northwest Arizona
. The region is in the east and southeast of the Mojave Desert
of Arizona, southern Nevada
, and California
.
The wilderness is 30 miles (48.3 km) southwest of Kingman, Arizona
and 10 mi (16.1 km) east of Mohave Valley, Arizona
and Needles, California
. Oatman, AZ
lies on its northwest perimeter, adjacent to the Boundary Cone
landmark; Yucca, AZ
is on its east in the south-central Sacramento Valley
on Interstate 40 in Arizona
which traverses due-south from Kingman, then turns due west of the Black Mesa and Warm Springs Wilderness perimeter to meet Needles, California, on the Colorado River
.
The wilderness is one of the many wilderness areas located in the Lower Colorado River Valley
. The Mount Nutt Wilderness is adjacent north across Sitgreaves Pass, just east of Oatman.
, that flows into Topock Marsh
at the Colorado River.
The wilderness has volcanic plugs to the north in the Mount Nutt Wilderness. One example offset on the Warm Springs border northwest, 4 mi (6.4 km)4 mi south of Oatman, Arizona
is Boundary Cone
, a major landmark in Mohave Valley
's northeast.
The various springs located on the mesa's perimeter are highest in water volume following wet winters, or periods of high summer monsoon
al weather.
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Trails
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Black Mesa (western Arizona)
The Black Mesa of northwestern Arizona is the extreme southern section of the Black Mountains.It is a notable mountain section, since the entire Warm Springs Wilderness comprises the entire mesa; it is separated to the north from the Black Hills range by a canyon and road; the north side of the...
and parts of the surrounding foothills, washes, alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s, and valleys. The Black Mesa is the southernmost section of the Black Mountains
Black Mountains (Arizona)
The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
of western Mohave County
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
, in northwest Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The region is in the east and southeast of the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of Arizona, southern Nevada
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...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The wilderness is 30 miles (48.3 km) southwest of Kingman, Arizona
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
and 10 mi (16.1 km) east of Mohave Valley, Arizona
Mohave Valley, Arizona
Mohave Valley is a census-designated place in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 13,694 at the 2000 census. It is geographically connected to Needles, California and Bullhead City, Arizona....
and Needles, California
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
. Oatman, AZ
Oatman, Arizona
Oatman is a former mining town in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Located at an elevation of , it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915, though the area had been already settled for a number of years. Oatman's...
lies on its northwest perimeter, adjacent to the Boundary Cone
Boundary Cone
Boundary Cone is a geologic promontory located in the western foothills of the Black Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona. The peak is to the east-northeast of the Mohave Valley along the Colorado River, north of Needles, CA, and south of Bullhead City, AZ. The peak is about 4 mi. southwest of...
landmark; Yucca, AZ
Yucca, Arizona
Yucca is an unincorporated community in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Located along Interstate 40, it lies southwest of Kingman, just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains and west of the Hualapai and McCracken Mountains in the Sacramento Valley. Yucca has a ZIP Code of...
is on its east in the south-central Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley (Arizona)
The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
on Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arizona connecting sections in California to New Mexico. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman...
which traverses due-south from Kingman, then turns due west of the Black Mesa and Warm Springs Wilderness perimeter to meet Needles, California, on the 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 wilderness is one of the many wilderness areas located in the Lower Colorado River Valley
Lower Colorado River Valley
The Lower Colorado River Valley is the river region of the lower Colorado River of the southwestern United States in North America that rises in the Rocky Mountains and has its outlet at the Colorado River Delta in the northern Sea of Cortez in northwestern Mexico, between the states of Baja...
. The Mount Nutt Wilderness is adjacent north across Sitgreaves Pass, just east of Oatman.
Description
The wilderness covers the 10 mi long mesa, the stretch of the southern Black Mountains, about 3600 feet (1,097 m) in elevation, and the mesa is bisected by a central southwest-flowing wash, a tributary of the Sacramento WashSacramento Wash
The Sacramento Wash is a major drainage of northwest Arizona in Mohave County. The wash is east of the Black Canyon of the Colorado and drains into the south-flowing Colorado River 45 mi south of Lake Mohave, and 90 mi south of Hoover Dam at Lake Mead. The wash outfall is in the...
, that flows into Topock Marsh
Topock Marsh
The Topock Marsh is one of the larger birdwatching sites found in the Lower Colorado River Valley, found from south of Hoover Dam to the Colorado River Delta in Mohave County, Arizona...
at the Colorado River.
The wilderness has volcanic plugs to the north in the Mount Nutt Wilderness. One example offset on the Warm Springs border northwest, 4 mi (6.4 km)4 mi south of Oatman, Arizona
Oatman, Arizona
Oatman is a former mining town in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Located at an elevation of , it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915, though the area had been already settled for a number of years. Oatman's...
is Boundary Cone
Boundary Cone
Boundary Cone is a geologic promontory located in the western foothills of the Black Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona. The peak is to the east-northeast of the Mohave Valley along the Colorado River, north of Needles, CA, and south of Bullhead City, AZ. The peak is about 4 mi. southwest of...
, a major landmark in Mohave Valley
Mohave Valley
The Mohave Valley is a small valley, mostly on the east shore of the south-flowing Colorado River in northwest Arizona; the valley borders southeast California's San Bernardino County; also, the north of the valley borders extreme southeast Clark County, Nevada...
's northeast.
The various springs located on the mesa's perimeter are highest in water volume following wet winters, or periods of high summer monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al weather.
See also
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- List of Arizona Wilderness Areas
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
- Black Mountains (Arizona)Black Mountains (Arizona)The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
- Boundary ConeBoundary ConeBoundary Cone is a geologic promontory located in the western foothills of the Black Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona. The peak is to the east-northeast of the Mohave Valley along the Colorado River, north of Needles, CA, and south of Bullhead City, AZ. The peak is about 4 mi. southwest of...
- MohaveMohave ValleyThe Mohave Valley is a small valley, mostly on the east shore of the south-flowing Colorado River in northwest Arizona; the valley borders southeast California's San Bernardino County; also, the north of the valley borders extreme southeast Clark County, Nevada...
& Sacramento ValleySacramento Valley (Arizona)The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
s
External links
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Trails
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