Bureau of Land Management
Photo Credit: Sendi Kalcic
Southern Nevada District Office
4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89103
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.1.html
Size: 24,997 acres
Elevation Range: 3,960 - 7,070 feet
Designation: Clark County Conservation of Public
Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002
BLM
Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
Area Description
Just 12 miles west of Las Vegas, the colorful, bare sandstone of the
aptly named Rainbow Mountain Wilderness emerges from the valley
floor, standing guard over the surrounding pinyon-juniper forest and
Mojave Desertscrub below. Its sheer, towering red and white cliffs are
cut by rugged, narrow, twisting canyons lined with willow, ash, and
hackberry trees.
Encompassing 24,997 acres, this desert wonderland dominates the
western view of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and
is managed jointly by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management.
Photo Credit: Sendi Kalcic
With springs, sandstone ‘pothole’ water tanks, and an elevation range of 3,000 feet, topping out
at the 7,070-foot summit of Mount Wilson, the wilderness supports a wide variety of wildlife
and unique plant communities. Deep, cool canyons host chain ferns as much as six feet tall and
ponderosa pines, which usually thrive at higher elevations like the rocky outcrops further up the
mountainsides.
Desert bighorn sheep, mountain lion, bobcats, mule deer, coyote, foxes, bats, squirrels, and
numerous bird species also make their home in the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness.
Directions
Photo Credit: Sendi Kalcic
The east side of the area is easily accessed from the scenic drive at Red Rock
Canyon National Conservation Area. Access is also available from paved roads to the west and south of the
wilderness, as well as from dirt, four-wheel drive roads to the north.
Recreation
Motorized vehicles, mechanized equipment, and mechanical transport are
not permitted in designated wilderness.
Maps
USGS 7.5 Quadrangle Maps: La Madre Spring, La Madre Mountain,
Mountain Springs, Blue Diamond, and Cottonwood Pass.
Additional Information
Photo Credit: Scott Massey
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Please limit group sized to 12 members.
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Maximum length of stay: 14 days
•
Camping is prohibited within one-quarter mile of springs and riparian areas.
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No rock climbing within 50 feet of petroglyphs and pictographs.
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Target shooting is prohibited.
•
Other than incidental browsing, riding and pack stock animals may be fed only packed-in, certified, weed-free feed.
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Non-commercial hunting and trapping is permitted subject to applicable state regulation.
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Alteration of any rock surfaces by gluing, chipping, and chiseling is not allowed.
Southern Nevada District Office
The Rainbow Mountain Wilderness provides a unique and beautiful
backdrop for hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, and camping.
Bring a field guide to discover one of Rainbow Mountain’s endemic plant
communities found nowhere else on earth, or enjoy a trip back in time,
pondering the meaning of the many petroglyphs and pictographs telling
stories of the area’s earlier inhabitants.
No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data. Original data were
compiled from various sources. This information may not meet National Map Accuacy standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.
Southern Nevada District Office
N
BLM
Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
