Clipper Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Clipper Mountains are located in the Mojave Desert
of eastern San Bernardino County, California
. The range parallels the central-southern border of the large Mojave National Preserve
and is found just south of Interstate 40
and the Clipper Valley
, between the freeway and the National Old Trails Highway
- U.S. Route 66
.
and Providence Mountains
, north of the Old Woman Mountains
, and west of the Sacramento Mountains
. They are northwest of the small communities of Essex
and Goffs
.
The range is home to at least three natural spring
s, and the 'Tom Reed Mine.'
is on the northern slopes of the range. It includes rugged yellow and dark brown, horizontally striped mesas; narrow canyons with hidden springs; and sparsely vegetated alluvial fans. This small cluster of volcanic mountains is oriented northeast to southwest. In the center, the most prominent ridge, Clipper Mountain, reaches an elevation of 4625 feet (1,410 m) before it dramatically drops off in a series of sharp cliffs overlooking the Fenner and Clipper Valley
s. Castle Dome, a local landmark, can be clearly seen from Historic Route 66 to the south and east.
The vegetation types are predominantly Xeric desert scrub
, with Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), and desert wash scrub. In the spring, the alluvial fans turn yellow with Brittlebush
flowers (Encelia farinosa), as well as wildflowers.
Wildlife includes a herd of 40-50 Desert Bighorn Sheep
, coyote, roadrunner
s, chucker, quail
, prairie falcon
s, red-tailed hawk
s, golden eagle
s, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, black-tailed jackrabbit
s, rattlesnake
s, and several species of lizards. The entire wilderness is considered critical habitat for the threatened Desert Tortoise
.
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of eastern San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
. The range parallels the central-southern border of the large Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act by the US Congress...
and is found just south of Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 40 has its western terminus in Barstow. Known as the Needles Freeway, a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles,...
and the Clipper Valley
Clipper Valley
Clipper Valley is a vast, oval-shaped alluvial plain located in the eastern Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California, in the south of the Mojave National Preserve...
, between the freeway and the National Old Trails Highway
National Old Trails Highway
National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland , to California...
- U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 66 is a former U.S. highway. All the portions were deleted by 1964 during the 1964 renumbering.-History:U.S...
.
Geography
The Clipper Mountains are southeast of the Granite MountainsGranite Mountains
Granite Mountains may refer to one of four mountain ranges in the United States:*Granite Mountains *Granite Mountains *Granite Mountains *Granite Mountains...
and Providence Mountains
Providence Mountains
The Providence Mountains are found in the eastern Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, U.S. The range reaches an elevation of at Edgar Peak and is home to the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, and the Mojave National...
, north of the Old Woman Mountains
Old Woman Mountains
The Old Woman Mountains are located south of the town of Essex, California, and north of Danby Dry Lake. The range reaches an elevation of at the northeastern end , and lies in San Bernardino County in the Mojave Desert.-Geography:...
, and west of the Sacramento Mountains
Sacramento Mountains
The Sacramento Mountains are a mountain range in the south-central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, lying just east of Alamogordo in Otero County...
. They are northwest of the small communities of Essex
Essex, California
Essex is a small unincorporated town in San Bernardino County, California. Essex lies on Old National Trails Highway - part of the old Route 66 - just south of Interstate 40 in the Mojave Desert.-History:...
and Goffs
Goffs, California
Goffs, an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, is a nearly empty one-time railroad town at the route's high point in the Mojave Desert. Goffs was a stop along famous U.S. Route 66 prior to 1931, when a more direct route between Needles and Amboy was built...
.
The range is home to at least three natural spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s, and the 'Tom Reed Mine.'
Clipper Mountain Wilderness
The Clipper Mountain WildernessClipper Mountain Wilderness
The Clipper Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Clipper Mountains within the eastern Mojave Desert, in northeastern San Bernardino County, California...
is on the northern slopes of the range. It includes rugged yellow and dark brown, horizontally striped mesas; narrow canyons with hidden springs; and sparsely vegetated alluvial fans. This small cluster of volcanic mountains is oriented northeast to southwest. In the center, the most prominent ridge, Clipper Mountain, reaches an elevation of 4625 feet (1,410 m) before it dramatically drops off in a series of sharp cliffs overlooking the Fenner and Clipper Valley
Clipper Valley
Clipper Valley is a vast, oval-shaped alluvial plain located in the eastern Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California, in the south of the Mojave National Preserve...
s. Castle Dome, a local landmark, can be clearly seen from Historic Route 66 to the south and east.
The vegetation types are predominantly Xeric desert scrub
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
, with Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), and desert wash scrub. In the spring, the alluvial fans turn yellow with Brittlebush
Encelia farinosa
Encelia farinosa, or Brittlebush, is a common desert shrub of northwestern Mexico through California and the southwestern United States. Its common name comes from the brittleness of its stems....
flowers (Encelia farinosa), as well as wildflowers.
Wildlife includes a herd of 40-50 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...
, coyote, roadrunner
Roadrunner
Roadrunners are birds of the genus Geococcyx.Roadrunner or Road Runner may also refer to:* Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, an animated character based on the bird** The Road Runner Show, compiled cartoons including the character...
s, chucker, quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
, prairie falcon
Prairie Falcon
The Prairie Falcon is a medium-sized falcon of western North America.It is about the size of a Peregrine Falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm , wingspan of 1 metre , and weight of 720 g...
s, red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
s, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, black-tailed jackrabbit
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
The black-tailed jackrabbit , also known as the american desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level to up to...
s, rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s, and several species of lizards. The entire wilderness is considered critical habitat for the threatened 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...
.
See also
- Clipper ValleyClipper ValleyClipper Valley is a vast, oval-shaped alluvial plain located in the eastern Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California, in the south of the Mojave National Preserve...
- Providence Mountains State Recreation AreaProvidence Mountains State Recreation AreaThe Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located in the Providence Mountains, within the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California...
- Category: Protected areas of the Mojave Desert
- Category: Flora of the California desert regions
- Category: Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert