Santa Rosa Wilderness facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santa Rosa Wilderness |
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IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
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| Location | Riverside County, California |
| Nearest city | Palm Desert, California |
| Area | 72,259 acres (292.42 km2) |
| Established | 1984 (California Wilderness Act) |
| Governing body | U.S. Bureau of Land Management / U.S. Forest Service |
The Santa Rosa Wilderness is a special protected area in Southern California. It covers about 72,259 acres (292.42 km2) of land. This wilderness is located in the Santa Rosa Mountains. These mountains are in Riverside and San Diego counties, California.
The area is part of the Colorado Desert, which is a section of the larger Sonoran Desert. It sits above the Coachella Valley and Lower Colorado River Valley. The wilderness is found between La Quinta to the north and Anza Borrego Desert State Park to the south.
The United States Congress created this wilderness in 1984. They passed a law called the California Wilderness Act. The land is managed by two groups: the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. In 2009, more land was added to the wilderness. Most of the Santa Rosa Wilderness is inside the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.
The Santa Rosa Mountains are important for their history and culture. People have found old trails, cooking pits, and places where Native Americans ground food. There are also rock shelters and amazing rock art. Native Americans still use some areas for temporary homes and gathering resources. You can also find remains from early settlements and mining. These include old quarries and water systems near natural springs.
Contents
Animals, Plants, and Mountains
This wilderness is home to many different animals and plants. It also has a unique landscape.
Amazing Bighorn Sheep
The Santa Rosa Wilderness protects the largest group of Peninsular bighorn sheep in the United States. These are wild sheep with big, curved horns. A group called the Bighorn Institute studies these sheep. They estimate about 60 adult sheep live in the Santa Rosa Mountains. The total number of these sheep in the Peninsular Ranges is around 800.
The Peninsular Range bighorn sheep are a special type of sheep. They have been protected since 1971 in California. They also got federal protection in 1998 under the Endangered Species Act. This means they are a species at risk of disappearing. These sheep use the whole mountain range, from 1,000 to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) high. Places like Bear Creek and Deep Canyon are important for them in the summer. These areas also have rugged terrain where the sheep can safely have their lambs.
Other Wildlife
Besides bighorn sheep, you might also see other animals here. These include mule deer, bobcats, and coyotes.
Special Plants
The Santa Rosa Wilderness also has some rare native plants. These include shrubs like Santa Rosa sage (Salvia eremostachya). There's also Nuttall's scrub oak (Quercus dumosa). Other rare plants are Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon (Linanthus floribundus ssp. hallii) and triple ribbed milkvetch (Astragalus tricarinatus).
Mountain Landscape
The mountains here are very rugged. They were formed by huge blocks of igneous and metamorphic rocks. These rocks were pushed up between two big fault lines: the San Andreas and the San Jacinto. Fault lines are cracks in the Earth's crust.
Streams flow through the steep canyons. These streams create large fan palm oases, which are like green islands in the desert. The Santa Rosa Mountain range and the two faults all run in a northwest-southeast direction. They are part of the Peninsular Ranges that stretch from Southern California down into Mexico.
Fun Things to Do
The Santa Rosa Wilderness connects with other wilderness areas. It joins the San Bernardino National Forest to the west. It also connects with the California State Wilderness in Anza Borrego Desert State Park to the south.
There are many fun activities you can do in the Santa Rosa Wilderness. You can go backpacking, horseback riding, or day hiking. It's also a great place for nature study and photography.
- The Boo Hoff equestrian trail is a special path for horses. A local horse club built and takes care of it.
- The Cactus Spring Trail is a very old pathway. It connects the Santa Rosa plateau to the desert floor in the Coachella Valley. This trail also links to other wilderness areas in the San Bernardino National Forest.
- You can explore oases trails like Bear Creek Oasis and Lost Canyon Oasis.
- Guadelupe Canyon and Devil Canyon are also great places to visit.
- Rockhouse Canyon and valley, in the southern part of the wilderness, has old remains. You can find signs of early Native American people and European settlers.
- Rabbit Peak is a famous desert mountain. It's a challenging climb to the 6,623-foot (2,019 m) top. Groups like the Sierra Club often lead trips to this peak. Universities and colleges also use the Santa Rosa Mountains. They are like a living laboratory for science studies and outdoor learning.
Hunting is allowed in the southern half of the wilderness during certain seasons. However, it is not allowed in the northern part, which is a State Wildlife Refuge. Deer, quail, and dove are hunted here.
