BLM · California

Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness

Dry, desolate, and rugged, the Little Chuckwalla Mountains, cresting at 2,100 feet, are surrounded by a large, gently sloping bajada incised by a network of washes. In the north part of the Wilderness, a bajada rises gradually to about 400 feet. Here, in portions of the area, you may see desert bighorn sheep, and the southern bajada has been identified as crucial habitat for desert tortoises. Several sensitive plants grow in the Little Chuckwallas, including California snakeweed, Alverson's foxtail cactus, and barrel cactus. You won't find much in the way of developed trails or water, but you will find an ample supply of solitude.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateCalifornia
Size28,052 acres
Designated1994, by Congress
Center point33.47° N, 115.05° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 28)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness50°60°70°80°90°100°January: 0.53 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.62 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.48 inches of precipitationApril: 0.09 inches of precipitationMay: 0.05 inches of precipitationJune: 0.01 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.26 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.40 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.32 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.16 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.21 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.43 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 55.7°F averageFebruary: 59.3°F averageMarch: 65.6°F averageApril: 72.1°F averageMay: 80.3°F averageJune: 89.2°F averageJuly: 95.0°F averageAugust: 94.7°F averageSeptember: 88.0°F averageOctober: 75.4°F averageNovember: 62.9°F averageDecember: 54.0°F average0 in0.5 in1 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Blythe AP, 22 miles from the center point at 395 feet, station USW00023158 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 4 inches a year.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

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  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness?

28,052 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1994.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness?

Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 33.474° N, 115.046° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.