Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
The Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located in the Providence Mountains
, within the Mojave National Preserve
in San Bernardino County, California
. It is also home to the natural Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve
, with cavern tours.
range and has dramatic views of the surrounding Mojave Desert
.
On approaching the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area one can see layers of tilted grey rock that are ancient limestone
formed during the Paleozoic
period. The base elevation of the park is 4,300 feet with the Providence Mountains reaching to 6608 feet.
habitat, composed of Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), California Barrel Cactus
(Ferocactus cylindraceus), Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), and Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera).
The habitat
dramatically shifts with elevations above 4000 feet to a sky island
where numerous animals and plants flourish in the added moisture caught by the mountains. The plant habitat includes forests of Single-leaf Pinyon
(Pinus monophylla) and California Juniper
(Juniperus californica), and remnant chaparral and woodlands
with Oaks
(Quercus turbinella) and Manzanita
in these higher parts of the mountains.
Mitchell Caverns
is home to two endemic species of insects, found nowhere else..
(the Needles Freeway). The visitor center is located in a historic 1934 stone dwelling. There is camping, with a small number of sites available. Mitchell Caverns tours can be reserved via online Reservations information.
as part of a deficit reduction program. This has not occurred to date, with winter and summer schedules for tours.
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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...
, within 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...
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...
. It is also home to the natural Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve
Mitchell Caverns
The Mitchell's Caverns, within the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, are a trio of limestone caves, located on the east side of the Providence Mountains at an elevation of 4300 ft , within the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area...
, with cavern tours.
Geography
The Recreation Area is located on the east side of the Providence MountainsProvidence 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...
range and has dramatic views of the surrounding 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...
.
On approaching the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area one can see layers of tilted grey rock that are ancient limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
formed during the Paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
period. The base elevation of the park is 4,300 feet with the Providence Mountains reaching to 6608 feet.
Flora
Vegetation on the lower parts of the mountains is xeric shrublands scrubDeserts 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:...
habitat, composed of Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), California Barrel Cactus
Ferocactus cylindraceus
Ferocactus cylindraceus is a species of barrel cactus which is known by several common names, including California barrel cactus and miner's compass. It was first described by George Engelmann in 1853. This cactus is usually cylindrical or spherical, with some older specimens forming columns two...
(Ferocactus cylindraceus), Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), and Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera).
The habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
dramatically shifts with elevations above 4000 feet to a sky island
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
where numerous animals and plants flourish in the added moisture caught by the mountains. The plant habitat includes forests of Single-leaf Pinyon
Single-leaf Pinyon
The Single-leaf Pinyon, ', is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to the United States and northwest Mexico. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and southern California and northern Baja California.It occurs at moderate altitudes from...
(Pinus monophylla) and California Juniper
Juniperus californica
Juniperus californica is a species of juniper native to southwestern North America; as the name implies, it is mainly found in California, although its range also extends through most of Baja California, a short distance into the Great Basin in southern Nevada, and western Arizona...
(Juniperus californica), and remnant chaparral and woodlands
California interior chaparral and woodlands
The California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion covers in an elliptical ring around the California Central Valley. It occurs on hills and mountains ranging from to . It is part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers...
with Oaks
Quercus turbinella
Quercus turbinella is a species of oak known by the common names Sonoran scrub oak and shrub live oak. It is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States from far eastern California to southwest Colorado, Rio Grande New Mexico, to west Texas.-Distribution:Quercus turbinella...
(Quercus turbinella) and Manzanita
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...
in these higher parts of the mountains.
Mitchell Caverns
Mitchell Caverns
The Mitchell's Caverns, within the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, are a trio of limestone caves, located on the east side of the Providence Mountains at an elevation of 4300 ft , within the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area...
is home to two endemic species of insects, found nowhere else..
Access
The Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located at the north-western end of Essex Road, off of Interstate 40Interstate 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,...
(the Needles Freeway). The visitor center is located in a historic 1934 stone dwelling. There is camping, with a small number of sites available. Mitchell Caverns tours can be reserved via online Reservations information.
Proposed for closure
Providence Mountain Recreation Area is one of the 48 California State Parks proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as part of a deficit reduction program. This has not occurred to date, with winter and summer schedules for tours.
Articles
- Mitchell Caverns Natural PreserveMitchell CavernsThe Mitchell's Caverns, within the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, are a trio of limestone caves, located on the east side of the Providence Mountains at an elevation of 4300 ft , within the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area...
- Mojave National PreserveMojave National PreserveMojave 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...
Index
- Category: Protected areas of the Mojave Desert
- Category: Flora of the California desert regions
External links
- Official Providence Mountains State Recreation Area website
- Providence Mountains Recreation Area Map
- Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve website
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