Chuckwalla Mountains

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The Chuckwalla Mountains are a mountain range in the Colorado Desert of southern California. The range spans approximately 40 miles, running in a generally northwest-to-southeast direction. It is bordered to the north by Interstate 10 and the town of Desert Center, and to the south by the Bradshaw Trail and the Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range. The highest point is Black Butte, elevation 4504 feet. The Chuckwalla Range is divided from the Little Chuckwalla Range by Graham Pass.

Most of the mountains were designated wilderness in 1994, with motorized travel allowed on established roads only (“cherry-stemmed”). On the southern flank of the range lies the Chuckwalla Bench, an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) as it is frequented by the threatened desert tortoise. Also common in the area is the rosy boa, kangaroo rat and, of course, the large lizard after which the mountains are named (Chuckwalla).

The mountains have had many visitors over the millennia, as they are situated near heavily-traveled east-west routes and feature several sources of water, the most prominent being Corn Springs. Several successful mines have been dug, including the Red Cloud, Aztec, and Granite. The Chuckwalla Mountains are a transition zone between the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert climatically and vegetationally.