Desert

Desert NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/desert/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_National_Wildlife_Refuge The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is located north of Las Vegas, Nevada, in northwestern Clark and southwestern Lincoln counties, with much of its land area lying within the southeastern section of the Nevada Test and Training Range. The Desert NWR is the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states of the United States, encompassing 1.615 million acres (6,540 km2) of the Mojave Desert in the southern part of Nevada. This Range is part of the larger Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge.

Desert National Wildlife Refuge HCR 38 Box 700 Las Vegas, NV 89124 702/879-6110 http://www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov June 2012 © Gary Kramer U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Desert National Wildlife Refuge Introduction The refuge is a remarkable land encompassing great diversity of terrain and climate wrapped in wild beauty and solitude. Welcome to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge The Desert National Wildlife Refuge includes more than 1.5 million acres (over 2,300 square miles) in southern Nevada. The vast refuge is large enough to cover the state of Rhode Island twice, and still have room left for over a quarter of a million football fields. This is the largest National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the lower 48 states. The Desert NWR forms one of the largest intact blocks of desert bighorn sheep habitat remaining in the Southwest. The population fluctuates with ecological conditions. All roads are primitive, and ordinary passenger vehicles are not recommended. The wildlife and wildlands of the area are best appreciated by traveling on foot or horseback into the backcountry. The Desert NWR contains six major mountain ranges rising to an elevation of almost 10,000 feet. Annual rainfall ranges from less than 4 inches at low elevations to more than 15 inches on the highest peaks. The wide range of elevation and rainfall has created amazingly diverse habitat suited to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The Desert NWR is a land of great diversity. Here the Mojave Desert ecosystem merges with the Great Basin ecosystem on this vast dry landscape. Plan your trip wisely and take time to get out of your car and onto this remarkable land to experience its stark beauty, wildness and solitude. USFWS Photo © Sharon Schafer Early History Of The Refuge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Prehistoric People The area now known as the Desert NWR has been utilized by ancient people for thousands of years: first by Archaic people and then during the last several hundred years by the Southern Paiutes and others. These Native Americans traveled in small mobile bands while following the seasonal ripening of plants and the movements of animals. The evidence of these ancient people is seen in numerous cultural resource sites such as agave roasting pits, rock shelters, camps, rock art and ancient artifacts. Spears were commonly used for hunting larger game such as mule deer and bighorn sheep. The spear thrower or atlatl was a revolutionary advance in weapon design that allowed the spear to be thrown with far greater power, range and accuracy. © Sharon Schafer Agave Roasting Pit © USFWS Photo Petroglyphs Roasting pits are circular mounds of firecracked and whitened limestone that were used by ancient people for cooking meats and vegetables. Native foods such as agave were placed in a bed of hot coals mixed with limestone cobbles and covered with vegetation and earth to slow cook for many hours. Limestone was discarded after each use and eventually formed a low mounded hill with a central depression. Later History Of The Refuge 1700s Paiute Indians were living near the watering places in the late 1700s when Europeans first visited the region. These were Spanish pioneers searching for a route between settlements in present day New Mexico and California which later became known as the Spanish Trail. 1850s In the mid 1850s Mormon settlers moved into southern Nevada. Some settled in the area that is now near downtown Las Vegas. By the 1880s settlements in the Moapa Valley (east towards the Colorado River) were well established. 1900s Around the turn of the century, two wagon trails now known as the Alamo Road and the Mormon Well Road were developed as travel routes by pioneers in this region. These trails served early efforts at mining and ranching in this part of the state. 1936– DNWR Established The Desert National Wildlife Refuge was established by executive order in 1936 for the protection, enhancement, and maintenance of desert bighorn sheep. Corn Creek Spring, purchased in 1939 by the Federal Government, was an old ranch site and stage coach stop used by prospectors and cattlemen, as well as poachers and bootleggers. Petroglyphs are images chipped into stone, most often through a thin, dark layer on the rock known as desert varnish, exposing the light rock underneath to create the images. Pictographs or rock paintings are less common, usually found on the light-colored surfaces in protected places such as rock shelters and beneath overhangs. The true meanings of these images remains unknown but are thought to document various aspects of social and religious life. During the early stages of World War II an aerial bombing and gunnery range was superimposed on the western portion of the Desert NWR. This use continues today as the U.S. Air Force Nevada Test and Training Range. Due to safety and other security concerns this area is closed to all public entry. © Sharon Schafer

Desert NWR Map Service U.S. Fish & Wildlife Where Do I Start? The major access point to the Desert NWR is through the Corn Creek Field Station, which can be reached by travelling north on U.S. Highway 95 approximately 25 miles from downtown Las Vegas. A brown sign on the east side of the highway marks the 4-mile gravel road into Corn Creek. MAP LEGEND Desert NWR Boundary Nevada Test & Training Range Entry Prohibited Main Roads DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 93 PROHIBITED ENTRY Dirt Roads 95 OPEN ENTRY CORN CREEK FIELD STATION 15 LAS VEGAS Desert NWR Map