Kingston Range Proposed Wilderness Additions
The California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act would add about 53,320 acres currently within the Kingston Range Wilderness Study Area to the federal wilderness protection system.
The Kingston Range rises over 7,300 feet above three desert valleys: Mesquite, Shadow and Silurian. The proposed wilderness additions would extend protection to the lower slopes of the Kingston Range and the Kingston Wash. Because of its varied terrain and unique mineral formations, the Kingston Range contains one of the highest concentrations of endangered species and unusual plant assemblages in the California desert.
The Kingston Range is of interest to geologists because of its complex movements and rock exposures. Granite dating back more than a billion years, and limestone and dolomite are exposed here. There are a wide variety of minerals including gold, silver, copper, uranium, zeolite, bentonite, gypsum, talc and lead.
Just 50 miles from Las Vegas, the Kingston Range provides a great opportunity for solitude and backcountry recreation. Some of the plants and wildlife to see include: a stand of white fir trees, Joshua trees, barrel cacti, giant nolina, Panamint chipmunks, banded gila monsters, prairie falcons and desert bighorn sheep.