High Rock Lake Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The High Rock Lake Wilderness is a wilderness area in Nevada
containing the northern portion of the Calico Mountains
. High Rock Lake, for which the wilderness was named, was created about 11,800 years ago after a large rockslide
closed the outlet (Box Canyon) to High Rock and Little High Rock Canyons. This new outlet (Fly Canyon) cut a narrow canyon that empties at Soldier Meadows. One special geological feature in Fly Canyon is the potholes. The potholes were carved by whirlpool
action of sand and gravel in the stream. Another unique feature is the Fly Slide where emigrants lowered their wagons with ropes into Fly Canyon portion of the Applegate-Lassen Trail. Elevations in the wilderness range from 4,000 to 7,660 feet with scattered vegetation of saltbrush and sagebrush
.
The wilderness area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management
.
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
containing the northern portion of the Calico Mountains
Calico Mountains
The Calico Mountains of California are located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County and Inyo County, California.-Geography:The Calico Mountains are geologically and historically colorful range that lie in a northwest-southeast direction, and are located just north of Barstow and Yermo, and...
. High Rock Lake, for which the wilderness was named, was created about 11,800 years ago after a large rockslide
Rockslide
A rockslide is a type of landslide caused by rock failure in which part of the plane of failure passes through intact rock and where material collapses en masse and not in individual blocks.The mode of failure is different from that of a rock-fall....
closed the outlet (Box Canyon) to High Rock and Little High Rock Canyons. This new outlet (Fly Canyon) cut a narrow canyon that empties at Soldier Meadows. One special geological feature in Fly Canyon is the potholes. The potholes were carved by whirlpool
Whirlpool
A whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft...
action of sand and gravel in the stream. Another unique feature is the Fly Slide where emigrants lowered their wagons with ropes into Fly Canyon portion of the Applegate-Lassen Trail. Elevations in the wilderness range from 4,000 to 7,660 feet with scattered vegetation of saltbrush and sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
.
The wilderness area is managed by 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...
.