ABOUT THE ROUTE:

Section 1 (mile 0-9): The route starts at the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and the Eldorado Substation Road which is 11 miles south of Railroad Pass. Turn right on the paved substation road and travel 3.4 miles to the end of the pavement. Turn left on the transmission line maintenance road. For the next 6 miles you are traversing the Boulder City Conservation Area (BCCA) before crossing into the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument just past the 9-mile mark. The BCCA was established in 1995 by a partnership between Clark County and the City of Boulder City. Managed by the Clark County Desert Conservation Program, the BCCA was created to protect habitat for the threatened desert tortoises and other species covered by the Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Program (MSHCP). The area conserves 87,268 acres of critical desert tortoise habitat and serves as mitigation for impacts to desert tortoises resulting from private-land development activities within the County. 

Even though the route seems distant from Boulder City, the first 9 miles is all within the city limits. The BCCA is currently available for non-consumptive recreational uses including hiking, bird watching, bicycling, horseback riding, photography, OHV use, and sightseeing along open designated roads. 

This first 9-mile section of the drive through the BCCA traverses a creosote/bursage vegetative community and is critical Desert Tortoise habitat (more information below). Although not a real showy plant, the prevalent creosote bush plays a pivotal role as an ecological keystone species. Creosote shrubs have deep root systems that are capable of accessing soil water that more shallowly rooted plants cannot. Its deep root system provides shelter for burrowing animals. The root system creates intricate tunnel networks where creatures can find refuge from the scorching sun. 

The section of the drive from mile post 7-9, there is an unusually dense stand of cholla cactus. 

Section 2 (mile 10-18): At 9.4 miles, there is a junction with another transmission line right-of-way road that heads southeast. Bear right here and continue to follow the transmission line maintenance road. This section traverses the northwestern part of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument and is contiguous to the Boulder City Conservation Area. As you gain elevation, the desert understory becomes more diverse. You first see a concentration of cholla cactus mixed with the bursage and creosote community. It then transitions into a mix of yuccas (Mojave and Banana species), desert senna, catclaw acacia, barrel cactus as well as other desert cactus species. The Highland Range along this section comes more clearly into view looking east. It is one of the biggest surprises in Southern Nevada for sheer beauty, containing distinctive large, tilted, colorful igneous and sedimentary rocks and stark cliffs of exposed Precambrian rock. The cliffs are some several thousand feet above the valley floor.

The Highland Range and adjacent bajada slopes provide a vital home to a small remnant herd of desert bighorn sheep that survived when many other sheep populations in Nevada were lost to drought, human encroachment, disease, and other environmental pressures. Bighorn sheep are primarily diurnal but may be active at any time of day or night so you might be lucky to see them along your drive. The desert bighorn sheep has long been a majestic and iconic symbol of the west and are sacred to the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiutes) and the Mojave Indian Tribe. It is also Nevada’s state animal. They prefer the rough and rocky habitat of these mountains and the steep rocks protect against predators. These predators cannot navigate and climb up after the bighorn sheep. Desert Bighorn Sheep are herbivores with a diet of mostly grasses but includes shrubs, cacti, acacia, and forbs and their diet depends on their geographic location and availability of vegetation.  Mating season, called the “rut,” occurs in the fall when rams (male sheep) will compete to mate with females. Later in the season rams will join females and female groups.

Most springs and seeps within the Highland Range are located along the edges of the range, rather than the valley floor. They discharge from aptly named perched aquifers, which occur above the regional water table and are primarily filled or recharged by rain. Because recharge comes from local precipitation, the number of springs and seeps may vary throughout the year, as well as from year to year. Desert Bighorn Sheep require freestanding water to get through the hot desert summers. The Nevada Department of Wildlife has constructed artificial water sources called guzzlers in the Highland Range to provide some supplemental water.

Looking west, the South McCullough Range begins to dominate the view. These mountains are comprised of dramatic uplifted fault block of gneiss and granite, with steep slopes, narrow deep canyons, and deep sandy washes. The United States Congress designated 43,996 acres here as the South McCullough Wilderness in 2002. The Wildertness Area is now part of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. The landscape ranges from approximately 3,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation and displays a thriving Mojave Desert habitat. At the higher elevations, you'll find single-leaf pinyon pine, Utah juniper, various kinds of cholla, prickly pear cactus, hedgehog cactus and California juniper. 

Section 3 (mile 18-25.5): This section traverses a beautiful Joshua Tree Woodland and Blackbrush life zone. The Joshua trees start appearing at the 18-mile mark (more on Joshua Trees below). In this section you will see that many of the Joshua trees are perched in dense stands of dark short shrubs called blackbrush. They form these monoculture carpets of dormant summer gray. These stands are crucial parts of the desert biome. Blackbrush is hard for people to hike through, and it’s just as hard for non-human hikers to penetrate. This means that other plants’ seeds — Joshua tree, Mojave yucca, cacti of various kinds find a congenial place to germinate and grow for a few years, out of the reach of rodent paws and rabbit jaws. Blackbrush thus acts as a “nurse plant” to many other, more noticeable desert species. Without blackbrush cover, we’d have a lot fewer picturesque succulents out there. An old-growth forest is what it is, after all, especially from the point of view of the packrats and kangaroo rats and night lizards that inhabit it. 

The bio-diverse habitat in Section 3 of the drive also makes for fascinating bird watching. The area through which the road traverses has been designated by National Audubon and Bird Life International as an “Important Bird Area,” a national designation recognizing its importance for bird conservation. Birdwatchers may spot-Gilded Flicker (known to occur in Nevada only in this location), Northern Flicker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black-throated Sparrow, Red-tailed Hawk, Crissal Thrasher, Verdins, Brewer’s Sparrows, American Kestrel, Common Raven, Loggerhead Shrike, Bewick’s Wren, Bushtits, Ash-throated Flycatchers, and Cactus Wren. The area contains one of the highest known density of golden eagles in Nevada

Along this section of the drive, you have outstanding vistas, some extending some 70 miles. You can see the closer in Eldorado and Newberry Mountain Ranges within the Monument but also the more distant Black Mountains and Hualapai Mountains in Arizona. Spirit Mountain (Avi Kwa Ame) can be seen looking Southeast along the last 6 miles. At mile 24, you also get views of Crescent Peak and the backside of the Castle Peaks as well as section of the New York Mountains located in Mojave National Preserve.

MORE INFORMATION:

The desert tortoise is the largest reptile and the only wild land tortoise found in the southwestern United States and have a lifespan of 50 to 80 years. They are well adapted to this part of the Mojave Desert and spend most of their time in burrows they dig. They can store water in their bladder, and are able to tolerate high levels of urea in their blood to keep from losing moisture through excess urinating. They can go for long periods of time without food or water. 

A tortoise will live in the same general area of less than one square mile during its lifetime. Burrows are crescent shaped and are most often found at the base of desert shrubs or in wash banks. A tortoise may excavate and use many burrows during the year. Some burrows are used for only a short period of time and others may be used for several years. If you see a tortoise on your drive, it is important not to pick it up.  A tortoise will void its bladder if frightened. This could have life-threatening consequences for the animal if it is not able to replenish its water supply.

Creosote has also earned the title of “nurse plant.” It benefits young cacti, giving them a better chance to survive and thrive. The creosote offers two main benefits. The area under the creosote plant is enriched with nutrients from fallen leaves and organic matter. Secondly, the shade provided by the creosote protects the small tender cacti until they are large enough to handle the sun without protection.

Imagine a massive ring of clonal creosote measuring a staggering 72 feet by 26 feet. Known as ‘King Clone,’ this living giant in Lucerne Valley, California, holds the remarkable distinction of being approximately 11,700 years old. It stands as a testament to the enduring power of nature and the incredible resilience of creosote.

For centuries, indigenous populations in the southwestern United States have harnessed the power of creosote for various purposes. It served as an antibacterial treatment for open wounds and a remedy for ailments ranging from colds and fevers to ulcers, liver, and kidney issues. Creosote ash even found its place in history as a pigment for tattoos.

Moreover, creosote’s potential goes beyond traditional medicine. The compound nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) found in creosote is currently under scientific scrutiny for its promising role in cancer treatment. It’s an exciting glimpse into the potential medical applications of this desert survivor.

Native populations recognized creosote’s versatility long before modern times. The Creosote adhesive properties found applications in attaching arrowheads, repairing broken pottery, and sealing jars—an ancient example of sustainable resourcefulness.

Joshua Trees currently are only found growing in the United States Southwest (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona). The Eldorado Valley Backcountry drive traverses some of the oldest and largest Joshua trees on the planet. These ancient ones have grown tall in the silence of the desert, some rising to almost 30 feet over 900 years. The last 5 miles of the drive follows the northern boundary of the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area. The Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area is relatively small for a designated wilderness, at just 6,050 acres. The wilderness area was established by the United States Congress in 2002 and is now part of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. 

The name “Joshua tree” is attributed to Mormons passing west through the Mojave Desert from Utah in the mid-19th century in search of as new promised land. It is said that the Mormons named the tree Joshua, after the Old Testament figure who led the children of Israel in the conquest of Canaan. It seemed to them the outstretched limbs were directing the Mormons forward into another promised land. In the Southern Paiute language, “Wee Thump” means “ancient ones”, a fitting name for this magical wilderness where the Joshua trees stand so tall and are so old.

The Joshua tree’s deep, fibrous root system can spread nearly 40 feet, enabling it to thrive in its harsh, dry environment. The Joshua tree is actually not a tree but a member of the Agave family (Yucca brevifolia). Until recently, it was considered a giant member of the Lily family. However, modern DNA studies led to the division of that formerly huge family into 40 distinct plant families. Because of these studies, Joshua trees now have the more accurate Agave family designation. Joshua trees don't bloom every year: They need rainfall at the proper time and a winter freeze before they will bloom.