| Dead Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Seen from Needles Highway-(I-40) | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Manchester |
| Elevation | 3,602 ft (1,098 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Coordinates | 35°01′40″N114°44′56″W / 35.027808986°N 114.748938169°W /35.027808986; -114.748938169[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 11 mi (18 km) N-S |
| Width | 5 mi (8.0 km) E-W-(widest at north) |
| Geography | |
  Dead Mountains Location of the Dead Mountains inCalifornia[2] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region(s) | (southeast)-Mojave Desert (Lower Colorado River Valley) |
| County | San Bernardino County |
| Communities | |
| Range coordinates | 35°01′40″N114°44′56″W / 35.02778°N 114.74889°W /35.02778; -114.74889 |
| Borders on | |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Manchester |
TheDead Mountains are a mountain range in the southeasternMojave Desert, inSan Bernardino County,California.[2] The range borders the tri-state intersection ofNevada,Arizona andCalifornia, and theMohave Valley, with theFort Mojave Indian Reservation bordering the range foothills on the east and northeast, in the three states.
The Dead Mountains are 12 miles (19 km) northwest ofNeedles, California. They border theColorado River on the east, and thePiute Wash of thePiute Valley on the west. Piute wash drains south, then turns east for 8 mi (13 km) at the south of the range to meet the Colorado River.
Mount Manchester is the highest point at 3,598 feet (1,097 m).[3]
The rust colored mountains, which cover 46,758 acres, were designated the Dead Mountains Wilderness in 1994 by theUnited States Congress as part of theCalifornia Desert Protection Act of 1994.[4] They are maintained by theBureau of Land Management.[5] The vegetation is mostly creosote bush anddesert wash scrub. TheCalifornia Desert Conservation Area[6] is located within the wilderness andsmoke trees are found there.
The wildlife found on the mountains includescoyote, a small herd ofbighorn sheep,rattlesnakes,falcons,hawks,eagles. A portion of the wilderness is critical habitat for the endangereddesert tortoise.[7][8]
