| Kiavah Wilderness | |
|---|---|
 Spring flowers in the Klavah Wilderness | |
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| Location | Kern County, California |
| Nearest city | Ridgecrest, California |
| Coordinates | 35°37′20″N118°06′46″W / 35.62222°N 118.11278°W /35.62222; -118.11278 |
| Area | 88,290 acres (357.3 km2) |
| Established | 1994 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service,Bureau of Land Management |
TheKiavah Wilderness is a federally designatedwilderness area located in theMojave Desert,Scodie Mountains, and southernSierra Nevada inKern County, California,United States.California State Route 178 connects the town ofLake Isabella toState Highway 14 in the east, crossingWalker Pass at the north boundary of the wilderness.
The Kiavah Wilderness was created in 1994 with the passage of theCalifornia Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103–433), is jointly managed by theU.S. Forest Service and theBureau of Land Management (BLM), and is mostly within theSequoia National Forest. This wilderness is part of the National Cooperative Land and Wildlife Management Area and the BLM'sJawbone–Butterbredt Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which was designated to protect critical wildlife and Native American values.
It is located west ofInyokern and 50 miles (80 km) northeast ofBakersfield. There are 88,290 acres (357.3 km2)[1] of wilderness and 702 acres (2.84 km2) of partially roaded nonwilderness.[2]
Located on a broad plateau rising immediately south of Walker Pass in the southernSierra Nevada, are theScodie Mountains. The highest peaks are Skinner Peak (7,073 ft[3]) in the south and Pinyon Peak (6,768 ft[4]) in the north. Many canyons cut through the flanks of the plateau except in the north, which has an abrupt 3,000-foot (910 m) escarpment.[2]
Three seasonalsprings flow from the slope of the plateau: Yellowjacket,McIvers and Willow Springs. Other springs flow from the canyon folds.
The wilderness encompasses the eroded hills, canyons andalluvial fans-bajadas of the Scodie Mountains Unit within the Sequoia National Forest—the southern extremity of the Sierra Nevada. A unique mixing of several different species of plants and animals occurs within the transition zone between the Mojave Desert and Sierra Nevada.
The Kiavah Wilderness is one of only two protected areas that support a significant woodland of pinyon-juniper in California. Other plant life includeMormon tea,sagebrush, creosote,burrobush and shadscale,pinyon pine,juniper,canyon oak,grey pine andJoshua trees. Spring wildflower displays are from April to June.
A rare andendemic wildflower, theWalker Pass milkvetch (Astragalus ertterae) of the pea family, grows within the Pinyon-Juniper woodland. It grows in the sandy-loamy to granitic soils associated with pinyon pines and canyon live oaks. It is primarily found on west-facing slopes from 5,600 to 6,200 feet (1,700 to 1,900 m) elevation. The Walker Pass milkvetch was first described in 1987 from a collection made in 1982 along a newly constructed section of thePacific Crest Trail. There are fewer than 10 populations of this perennial herb, all of which are located in Kern County. Very little information is known about this plant, nor is it listed under state or federalendangered species laws. "If this plant truly is as rare as presently believed, it is crucial that all existing populations be protected." said M. Elvin of the Bureau of Land Management.[5]
The semiarid conditions with few reliable water sources restrict wildlife habitat. The U.S. Forest Service has installed water guzzlers and springs to increase water supply for the small number ofmule deer as well asmountain quail andCalifornia quail (or Valley quail). Therough-legged hawk,yellow-headed blackbird, gray-crowned rosyfinch, andsage sparrow have also been seen here.
Activities in the wilderness include day-hiking, backpacking, pinyon nut gathering, andnature photography.
Most of the recreation is concentrated along forest road 27S11 in the southeast where off-highway vehicles are frequent.McIver's Cabin is a popular destination.
ThePacific Crest Trail travels the length of the wilderness for 17 miles (27 km).
The other major trail is the Cholla Canyon Trail with a length of over 4 miles (6 km) and passes three seasonal springs en route.[2]
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