Clipper Valley
Encyclopedia
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
. Interstate 40
passes the valley along its southern border, and Needles, California
and the Colorado River
are to the east.
, southeast of the Providence Mountains
, and northwest of the Sacramento Mountains
. Covering over 400 square miles (1,036 km²), the valley is large enough to hold most of greater Los Angeles
. It has two prominent geologic features, the largest being the Blind Hills, a heavily eroded, flat-topped outcropping of rocky hills, and Halfway Hill, located near the center of the valley.
Only two small roads actually cross the valley, a small dirt road called Vulcan Mine Road, and a largely abandoned stretch of the National Old Trails Road and historic U.S. Route 66
.
.
The Clipper Mountain Wilderness
Area is nearby in the northern Clipper Mountains
.
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
located in the eastern Mojave Desert
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...
, in 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...
, in the south of the 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...
. 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,...
passes the valley along its southern border, and Needles, California
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
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...
are to the east.
Geography
The Valley is north of the Clipper MountainsClipper Mountains
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...
, southeast of the 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...
, and northwest 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...
. Covering over 400 square miles (1,036 km²), the valley is large enough to hold most of greater Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It has two prominent geologic features, the largest being the Blind Hills, a heavily eroded, flat-topped outcropping of rocky hills, and Halfway Hill, located near the center of the valley.
Only two small roads actually cross the valley, a small dirt road called Vulcan Mine Road, and a largely abandoned stretch of the National Old Trails Road and historic 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...
.
History
The valley was part of the homeland of the Mojave people for thousands of years. The region has been the site of numerous mining operations, particularly during the 1840s Gold RushGold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
.
The Clipper Mountain Wilderness
Clipper 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...
Area is nearby in the northern Clipper Mountains
Clipper Mountains
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...
.
See also
- Category: Valleys of the Mojave Desert
- Category: Protected areas of San Bernardino County, California