| Inyo Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Inyo Mountains from space | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Waucoba Mountain[1], ~18 mi (29 km) southeast ofBig Pine. |
| Elevation | 11,123 ft (3,390 m) |
| Coordinates | 36°10′00″N118°00′03″W / 36.16667°N 118.00083°W /36.16667; -118.00083 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 70 mi (110 km) |
| Width | 10 mi (16 km) |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| States |
|
| Parent range | Basin and Range Province |
| Borders on | White Mountains,Sierra Nevada |
TheInyo Mountains are a shortmountain range east of theSierra Nevada in easternCalifornia in theUnited States.[2] The range separates theOwens Valley to the west fromSaline Valley to the east, extending for approximately 70 miles (110 km) south-southeast from the southern end of theWhite Mountains, from which they are separated byWestgard Pass, to the east ofOwens Lake.
Geologically, the mountains are afault block range in theBasin and Range Province, at the western end of theGreat Basin. They are considered to be among the most important and best-known LateProterozoic toCambrian sections in the United States.[3]
Most of the mountain range (199,208 acres (806.17 km2)) is designated as theInyo Mountain Wilderness, managed by theBureau of Land Management in the south and theUnited States Forest Service in the north.[4] The USFS manages 73,300 acres (297 km2) of the wilderness all withinInyo National Forest.[5]
Wildlife in the area includes theendangeredInyo Mountains salamander and thedesert bighorn sheep.[6] Plant communities includecreosote andsagebrush at lower altitudes, andbristlecone pine forests at higher altitudes.[7] A number of rare andendemic plants are adapted to the uniquelimestone soils of the mountains, including thecliffdweller,[8]bristlecone cryptantha,[9] andInyo rock daisy.[10]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
