Chocolate Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Chocolate Mountains of California
are located in Imperial County and Riverside County in the Colorado Desert
in Southern California
. The mountains stretch more than 60 miles (100 km) in a northwest to southeast direction, and are located east of the Salton Sea
and south and west of the Chuckwalla Mountains
and the Colorado River
. To the northwest lie the Orocopia Mountains
.
to the Colorado River
valley. The mountains are located about 30 miles (48.3 km) west of the Chocolate Mountains
of Arizona
, but the two ranges are not connected. The range reaches an elevation of 2,475 feet (754 m) at Mount Barrow, and serves as a drainage divide for the Salton Watershed
to the west.
The mountains receive very little rainfall in a normal year, typically 4-6 inches (100 to 150 mm). The predominant natural plants are of the creosote bush
–white bursage community, and the mean annual temperature is about 60 °F (15.6 °C) to 75 °F (23.9 °C).
granite intrusions.
The range was host to numerous small gold
workings in the 19th century with one, the Mesquite Mine
to the east, continuing to be active into the 20th century.
passed by the side of the mountains, the first "euroamerican" route to the Colorado River
from Riverside, California
, an aerial and gunnery practice area used by the US Navy and Marines. A large part of the Chocolate Mountains lie within the gunnery range, and are closed to the public.
, a 38,170 acre (154.5 km²) region of geological features and habitat protection under the direction of the Bureau of Land Management
. The preserve has within its boundaries the southern portion of the Chocolate Mountains. Elevations within this area range from 200 to 1500 feet (457.2 m). The topography, characterized by jutting spires and steep ridges, is quite dramatic. Ravines laced within the range gradually broaden into sandy, tree-lined washes. Slopes and plains are devoid of vegetation, instead covered with a desert pavement of angular cobbles. These rusty dark orange and brown colored cobbles stand out against the nearly white bottoms of the washes. It is also called the Little Picacho Peak Wilderness.
is a distinctive part of the Chocolate Mountains, a range which extends from south central Riverside County to the Colorado River
near Yuma, Arizona. Quartz peak is the highest point in the wilderness capped at 2200 feet (670.6 m). Jagged peaks and spires are sliced by mazes of twisting canyons which carry water from occasional desert cloudbursts into several tree-lined washes. One of these washes passes through the heart of the wilderness area, giving rise to the region's local name, "Julian Wash country." The area's proximity to the Colorado River and the Arizona Desert contribute to the presence of wildlife species not commonly found in the California Desert.
At the southern end of the Chocolate Mountains at elevations from 200 to 1500 feet (457.2 m), the Indian Pass Wilderness preserve is located 50 miles (80.5 km) west of Brawley, California
, and is also managed by the Bureau of Land Management. A herd of 25 Desert Bighorn Sheep
are also reside in the wilderness area, and also "the Picacho Feral horse
s," wild burro
s, and the native and endangered Desert Tortoise
and Spotted bat
.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
are located in Imperial County and Riverside County in the Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The mountains stretch more than 60 miles (100 km) in a northwest to southeast direction, and are located east of the Salton Sea
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...
and south and west of the Chuckwalla Mountains
Chuckwalla Mountains
The Chuckwalla Mountains are a mountain range in the transition zone between the Colorado Desert—Sonoran Desert and the Mojave Desert, climatically and vegetationally, in Riverside County of southern California.-Geography:...
and the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. To the northwest lie the Orocopia Mountains
Orocopia Mountains
The Orocopia Mountains are located in Riverside County in southern California, USA, east of the Coachella Valley, west of the Chuckwalla Mountains, and south of Interstate 10 in the Colorado Desert. The range lies in an east-west direction, and is approximately 18 miles long...
.
Geography
The Chocolate Mountains form the northest boundary of the Salton Trough extending as a narrow range some 80 miles (128.7 km) southeast from the Orocopia MountainsOrocopia Mountains
The Orocopia Mountains are located in Riverside County in southern California, USA, east of the Coachella Valley, west of the Chuckwalla Mountains, and south of Interstate 10 in the Colorado Desert. The range lies in an east-west direction, and is approximately 18 miles long...
to the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
valley. The mountains are located about 30 miles (48.3 km) west of the Chocolate Mountains
Chocolate Mountains (Arizona)
The Chocolate Mountains of Arizona are located in the southwestern part of the state east of the Trigo Mountains and southwest of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The mountains are located about 30 miles east of the Chocolate Mountains of California, but the two ranges are not connected. The...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, but the two ranges are not connected. The range reaches an elevation of 2,475 feet (754 m) at Mount Barrow, and serves as a drainage divide for the Salton Watershed
Salton Sink
The Salton Sink is a geographic sink in the Coachella and Imperial valleys of southeastern California. It is in the Colorado Desert subregion of the Sonoran Desert ecoregion...
to the west.
The mountains receive very little rainfall in a normal year, typically 4-6 inches (100 to 150 mm). The predominant natural plants are of the creosote bush
Creosote bush
Larrea tridentata is known as Creosote bush as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and as "gobernadora" in Mexico, Spanish for "governess," due to its ability for inhibiting the growth of nearby plants to have more water. In Sonora, it is more commonly called "hediondilla." It is a flowering...
–white bursage community, and the mean annual temperature is about 60 °F (15.6 °C) to 75 °F (23.9 °C).
Geology
The range is composed of Precambrian basement rocks and Orocopia Schist with MesozoicMesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
granite intrusions.
The range was host to numerous small gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
workings in the 19th century with one, the Mesquite Mine
Mesquite Mine
The Mesquite Mine, operated by New Gold, is located in Glamis, Imperial County, California. It is one of the largest gold mines in the United States...
to the east, continuing to be active into the 20th century.
History
The Bradshaw TrailBradshaw Trail
The Bradshaw Trail, nicknamed the Gold Road at one time, is an historic overland stage route in Southern California which originally connected San Bernardino, California to gold fields in La Paz, Arizona, some miles north of Ehrenberg...
passed by the side of the mountains, the first "euroamerican" route to the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
from Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
Military closures
The mountain range is occupied by the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery RangeChocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
The Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range , is a 456,000 acre restricted area, approximately 20 miles wide, east to west, and 50 miles long, northwest to southeast, which is used by the Navy and Marines for aerial bombing and live fire aerial gunnery practice...
, an aerial and gunnery practice area used by the US Navy and Marines. A large part of the Chocolate Mountains lie within the gunnery range, and are closed to the public.
Little Picacho Wilderness
At the southeastern end of the Chocolate Mountains range are two important wilderness areas. The first is the Little Picacho WildernessLittle Picacho Wilderness
The Little Picacho Wilderness is a wilderness area under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. The wilderness is found in a southeast extension of the Chocolate Mountains adjacent to the Colorado River, in the southeastern part of California...
, a 38,170 acre (154.5 km²) region of geological features and habitat protection under the direction of the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
. The preserve has within its boundaries the southern portion of the Chocolate Mountains. Elevations within this area range from 200 to 1500 feet (457.2 m). The topography, characterized by jutting spires and steep ridges, is quite dramatic. Ravines laced within the range gradually broaden into sandy, tree-lined washes. Slopes and plains are devoid of vegetation, instead covered with a desert pavement of angular cobbles. These rusty dark orange and brown colored cobbles stand out against the nearly white bottoms of the washes. It is also called the Little Picacho Peak Wilderness.
Indian Pass Wilderness
The Indian Pass Wilderness Area is to the north with 32008 acres (129.5 km²) of open space. The Indian Pass WildernessIndian Pass Wilderness
The Indian Pass Wilderness is wilderness area under the administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The reserve is located in the very southeastern part of the Chocolate Mountains, in the southeastern part of California, just to the west of the Colorado River in the Lower Colorado River Valley...
is a distinctive part of the Chocolate Mountains, a range which extends from south central Riverside County to the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
near Yuma, Arizona. Quartz peak is the highest point in the wilderness capped at 2200 feet (670.6 m). Jagged peaks and spires are sliced by mazes of twisting canyons which carry water from occasional desert cloudbursts into several tree-lined washes. One of these washes passes through the heart of the wilderness area, giving rise to the region's local name, "Julian Wash country." The area's proximity to the Colorado River and the Arizona Desert contribute to the presence of wildlife species not commonly found in the California Desert.
At the southern end of the Chocolate Mountains at elevations from 200 to 1500 feet (457.2 m), the Indian Pass Wilderness preserve is located 50 miles (80.5 km) west of Brawley, California
Brawley, California
Brawley is a city in Imperial County, California, United States. Brawley is located north of El Centro. The population was 24,953 at the 2010 census, up from 22,052 at the 2000 census. The town has a significant cattle and feed industry, and hosts the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. Year-round...
, and is also managed by the Bureau of Land Management. A herd of 25 Desert Bighorn Sheep
Desert Bighorn Sheep
The Desert Bighorn Sheep is a subspecies of Bighorn Sheep that occurs in the desert Southwest regions of the United States and in the northern regions of Mexico. The trinomial of this species commemorates the American naturalist Edward William Nelson...
are also reside in the wilderness area, and also "the Picacho Feral horse
Feral horse
A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated ancestry. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these horses often are popularly called "wild" horses...
s," wild burro
Burro
The burro is a small donkey used primarily as a pack animal. In addition, significant numbers of feral burros live in the Southwestern United States, where they are protected by law, and in Mexico...
s, and the native and endangered Desert Tortoise
Desert Tortoise
The desert tortoise is a species of tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. They can be located in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The species name agassizii is in honor of...
and Spotted bat
Spotted bat
The Spotted bat , is a bat species from the family of vesper bats.-Description:The spotted bat was first described by zoologist Joel Asaph Allen from the American Museum of Natural History in 1891. It can reach a length of 12 cm and a wingspan of 35 cm. The weight is about 15 g. It has...
.