| Turtle Mountains | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aerial view of the Turtle Mountains | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 960 ft (290 m) |
| Coordinates | 34°17′10″N114°51′3″W / 34.28611°N 114.85083°W /34.28611; -114.85083 |
| Geography | |
  Turtle Mountains Location of the Turtle Mountains in southeasternCalifornia[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| District | San Bernardino County |
| Topo map | USGS Mopah Peaks |
| Type | NNL[2] |
| Date | 1973 |
TheTurtle Mountains (Amat 'Achii'ar in theMojave language),[3] are located in northeasternSan Bernardino County, in the southeastern part ofCalifornia. The colorful Turtle Mountains vary from deep reds, browns, tans and grays, to black. The area has numerous springs and seeps. The Turtle Mountains are also aNational Natural Landmark, with two mountain sections of entirely different composition.
The Turtle Mountains are 30 miles (48 km) southwest ofNeedles, California, west off ofU.S. Highway 95; withVidal Junction close on the southeast,Twentynine Palms to the west, andBlythe is south.[4] The Turtle Mountains are considered part of the greaterLower Colorado River Valley region.
The range is directly west of and connected with theMopah Range.[5] They lie in a north–south direction east ofWard Valley and theOld Woman Mountains. They are west of theWhipple Mountains andColorado River. The Turtle Mountains reach an elevation of 1310+ meters (4297.9+ feet). They are a registeredNational Natural Landmark in recognition of their exceptional natural values.[6]
The Turtle Mountains are one of several ranges that constitute theMaria Fold and Thrust Belt. The Maria Fold and Thrust Belt underwent generallythick-skinned (involvingbasement rocks) North-South trending crustal shortening in theCretaceous, followed by generally east–west trending large-scale crustal extension in theMiocene. This North-South shortening is anomalous, as crustal shortening in the rest of theNorth American Cordillera is oriented generally east–west because of the generally east–west compression that was due to the subduction of theFarallon plate under western North America. Also unlike the rest of the North American Cordillera, deformation in the Maria Fold and Thrust Belt involved rocks of theNorth American Craton, most notably theGrand Canyon sequence of sedimentary rocks.
Established in 1994 by the U.S. Congress, theTurtle Mountains Wilderness ranges from broad bajadas to highly eroded volcanic peaks, spires, and cliffs. The 177,309 acrewilderness area is managed by the U.S.Bureau of Land Management and is bordered by theStepladder Mountains Wilderness to the north.[7]
The Turtle Mountains are located in an ecological transition zone between theMojave Desert (High Desert) andColorado Desert region of theSonoran Desert (Low Desert) and therefore contains a high diversity of plant and animal species. The Turtle Mountain range is a northern or southern 'delimiter of occurrence' for some species; for example theendangeredCalifornia fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) encounters the northern limit of its range in the Mopah-Turtle Mountains.[8]
Dominant vegetation in the Turtle Mountains Wilderness Area consists of the creosote bush-bur sage withcreosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and the palo verde-cactus shrub ecosystems with thepalo verde tree (Parkinsonia microphylla). In the washes, Colorado/Sonoran microphylla woodlands can be found. These woodlands include such things assmoke tree (Psorothamnus spinosus),honey mesquite (Prosopis velutina), andcatclaw (Acacia greggii).
Wildlife species includedesert bighorn sheep, coyote,black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail,roadrunners,golden eagles,prairie falcons,rattlesnakes, thedesert tortoise[9] and several species oflizards.[6]
Hiking,horseback riding,camping, rock hounding, photography, andbackpacking can be enjoyed in this wilderness. The area is popular withrock hounding hobbyists and is nationally known forchalcedony specimens in a form known as "Mopah roses". The natural palmoases of Coffin, Mopah, and Mohawk Springs, are popular hiking destinations.[6]
