Arrow Canyon

Arrow Canyon Wilderness https://www.blm.gov/visit/arrow-canyon-wilderness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_Canyon_Wilderness The Arrow Canyon Wilderness is characterized by several striking geologic features. The Arrow Canyon Range frames the western edge, its spectacular cliff face standing several thousand feet high with a distinctive dark gray band of limestone arcing across the length of the range. A wide valley expands across the central portion of the wilderness area, its eastern reaches marked by a series of deep washes, including the nearly vertical sides of Arrow Canyon in the north. Stretching several miles long, Arrow Canyon itself is so deep and narrow that sunlight rarely reaches the bottom in places, with sheer walls 200 to 300 feet high and a mere 18 feet apart at its narrowest. As a slot canyon, Arrow Canyon has the potential for flash foods. Beware of traveling in the canyon if there is any rain in the area.

Bureau of Land Management 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: 27,530 acres Elevation Range: 2,000 - 5,200 feet Designation: Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 BLM Arrow Canyon Wilderness Area Description The Arrow Canyon Wilderness is characterized by several striking geologic features. The Arrow Canyon Range frames the western edge, its spectacular cliff face standing several thousand feet high with a distinctive dark gray band of limestone arcing across the length of the range. A wide valley expands across the central portion of the wilderness area, its eastern reaches marked by a series of deep washes, including the nearly vertical sides of Arrow Canyon in the north. Stretching several miles long, Arrow Canyon itself is so deep and narrow that sunlight rarely reaches the bottom in places, with sheer walls 200 to 300 feet high and a mere 18 feet apart at its narrowest. As a slot canyon, Arrow Canyon has the potential for flash floods. Beware of traveling in the canyon if there is any rain in the area. Southern desert shrub and creosote bush scrub are at home across these varied features, with mesquite and catclaw acacia in the washes and ash trees hiding out in the depths of the canyon. Bighorn sheep take refuge in the mountainous higher elevation portions, with fossil corals, mollusks, brachiopods and other specimens found throughout the region. Arrow Canyon has been identified as a potential traditional cultural property, boasting a high concentration of petroglyphs. The area also has religious significance for the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians. Directions The west side of the Arrow Canyon Range can be accessed from US Highway 93. Visitors may park off the highway and hike to the peaks, or take one of two dirt roads in about a mile further. There are no trailheads. Recreation Rock climbing in Arrow Canyon varies from vertical to overhanging cave features with grades from 5.8 to hard 5.12, with the majority of 5.11 routes found on the vertical walls and 5.12 routes in two caves. While rock climbing is allowed, installation of permanent fixed anchors is prohibited. It is imperative that all visitors avoid impacts to cultural resources. Potential impacts to the petroglyphs include degradation through physical contact with the elements, bolts, and indirect effects from poorly located campfires and ad hoc shooting ranges. Motorized vehicles, mechanized equipment, and mechanical transport are not permitted in designated wilderness. Maps USGS 7.5 Quadrangle Maps: Wildcat Wash SW, Wildcat Wash SE, Arrow Canyon NW, Arrow Canyon, Arrow Canyon SW, Arrow Canyon SE Additional Information • • • • • • Please limit group sized to 12 members. Maximum length of stay: 14 days. Campfires are allowed, except during regional fire restrictions. Visitors are encouraged to only use camp stoves. Disposing of debris and garbage is prohibited. Non-commercial hunting and trapping is permitted subject to applicable state regulation. Cutting of live vegetation is prohibited. • • • • Other than incidental browsing, riding and pack stock animals may be fed only packed-in, certified, weed-free feed. The creation or construction of permanent blinds in not allowed, however, portable or “pop-up” temporary blinds may be permitted. Alteration of any rock surfaces, by gluing, chipping, or chiseling is not allowed. No fixed ropes or cables for climbing and/or belaying purposes may be left in wilderness. Southern Nevada District Office To access Arrow Canyon, take Highway 168 east from Interstate 15 at Moapa, NV. After approximately 11 miles, turn left onto a well-maintained dirt road leading south, marked by a tall but simple entrance made of telephone poles and flanked by a short length of white fence on either side. Sign posts just inside the entrance to the road identify this Designated Route to the canyon. Continue on this road, following the posts. Approximately 0.5 miles off Highway 168, there is parking just past the fenced municipal well for those without 4-wheel drive capability. Beyond this point, the road continues approximately 1.5 miles further, ending with a vehicle barricade and additional parking. There is one private residence along the route – please respect their privacy. Arrow Canyon Wilderness 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