Page 6 - fall the rock 2015

6 Friends oF red rock canyon Friends oF red rock canyon 7
Welcome to the

Getting there:
Neighborhood Article and photos by Jim Boone Basin and Range National

Monument is located some
85-150 miles north of Las
Our newest National Monument, Basin and Range, is now open for business. Vegas. From town, drive
north on Highway 93, top off

the gas tank at Alamo or Ash
Basin and Range National Monument is a vast heart of Nevada and provides needed habitat for prong- Springs, and turn left onto
area of nearly undisturbed federal land in Lincoln and Nye horn, pygmy rabbits and dark kangaroo mice, and it pro- Highway 318. Shortly, the
counties that has been protected for its grand scenery, vides historic habitat for greater sage-grouse. highway forks. Highway 318
ecological value, many cultural and historic sites, and Basin and Range National Monument is administered by the Petroglyph wall within Basin and Range National Monument provides access to the east
Photo by Bob Wick - BLM
an enormous land-art sculpture called City. The National Bureau of Land Management out of the Ely District Office. side of the Basins Unit, while
Monument also helps preserve ranching traditions in the Highway 375 provides access
extends from the edge to the west side. Main roads
of the Mojave Desert inside the Basins Unit are
into the Great Basin county maintained and gen-
asin and Range U.S. Forest Service of thousands of feet basins with sediment. Desert, evidenced in erally suitable for sedans.
BNational Monu- lands. Driving from between low points and Vegetation the north by miles and
ment is vast - about south to north requires high points. The National Monu- miles of sagebrush in
708,000 acres - in two traversing about 90 ment, while mostly in the basins. About the author
units. The Basins Unit miles of moderate to The landscape in the the Great Basin Desert,
includes the majority good dirt roads. National Monument includes the transi- Wildlife
of the acreage (about was complicated by tion zone between the The lower-elevation
703,000 acres), while The Shooting Gallery an enormous asteroid Mojave Desert to the basins support prong-
the Shooting Gallery Unit, only about three impact during the De- south and the Great Ba- horn and mule deer, and
Volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Red Rock Canyon
Unit (about 5,100 acres) miles in diameter, vonian Era (367 mil- sin Desert to the north. bighorn sheep traverse
lies separated about 15 includes the summit lion years ago) when the basins when
miles to the south. of Badger Mountain the area was under moving between
at nearly 8,000 feet, the sea. Volcanic mountain ranges. An outdoorsman since before
The Basins Unit the Shooting Gallery activity in the recent Other large spe- birth, Jim worked a dozen
stretches some 53 miles archaeological area geologic past (40-12 cies, such as coy- seasons in western national
parks. With his wife Liz, he
from north to south and lower elevations to million years ago) left ote, bobcat and attended Humboldt State
and 40 miles from about 4,700 feet. a couple of extinct badger are pres- University (BS in Wildlife
east to west. This area volcanic cores and ent but not often Management, 1987) and the
includes three entire Geology spread ash-flow tuff (a seen. Mountain University of Georgia (Ph.D.
Map available at
mountain ranges with The geology of Basin type of light-colored cottontail hop http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/nlcs_new/Basin_and_Range_National_Monument.html in Ecology, 1995).
peaks reaching 9,000 and Range is complex. volcanic rock) across among the shrubs
feet and two major The general land form the landscape. Native and pygmy rab- At present, there are no developed recre- Arriving in Las Vegas in
inter-mountain valleys is “basin and range,” people made use of the The Shooting Gal- bits inhabit the northern ational opportunities within the National 1995, Jim did ecological
at 4,900 feet. The low- typical of the Great pale-ash-flow-tuff can- lery Unit, isolated to basins. Many species of Monument, but visitors are welcome to research on the Nevada Test
est elevations are about Basin where north- vas for their art work. the south, lies entirely small mammals, rep- visit rock art sites, camp, hike, ride horses, Site and began building
4,200 feet. This area south aligned limestone Over the millennia, within the Mojave Des- tiles and birds inhabit tour the dirt roads on mountain bikes BirdAndHike.com in 2002.
includes one wilder- mountain ranges are erosion cut canyons into ert, evidenced by the the area, and more bird and off-road vehicles, watch birds, hunt Now retired, Jim works on
ness area and shares a separated by basins the mountains, leaving presence of Joshua trees species use the area in season and just spend time with grand his website and land conser-
border with two other (valleys), often with wild boulder piles in and other southern spe- during migration. scenery and quiet solitude. vation issues.
wilderness areas and elevation differences places and filling the cies. The Basins Unit

the Rock - Volume 6 Issue 1 Fall 2015