Darwin Falls Wilderness

Darwin Falls Wilderness
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Location	Inyo County, California, USA
Nearest city	Darwin, CA
Coordinates	36°20′36″N 117°35′59″W / 36.34333°N 117.59972°W / 36.34333; -117.59972Coordinates: 36°20′36″N 117°35′59″W / 36.34333°N 117.59972°W / 36.34333; -117.59972
Area	8,176 acres (33 km2)
Established	October 31, 1994
Governing body	Bureau of Land Management

The Darwin Falls Wilderness is a wilderness area in the northern Mojave Desert, and part of the National Wilderness Preservation System established by the California Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103-433) and managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Darwin Falls Wilderness Area was established on October 31, 1994 with a total of 8,176 acres (33 km²).^[1]

Geography

The wilderness abuts the much larger and famous Death Valley National Park. While the Darwin Plateau and Darwin Hills form the landscape of the wilderness, the actual Darwin Falls are located in and under the administration of Death Valley National Park. The Wilderness Area is near the Inyo Mountains and the Argus Range, west of the Panamint Range.

The Darwin Falls Wilderness, falls and town are all named after Dr. Darwin French, a local rancher, miner and explorer.

Access

The nearest settlement is the community of Darwin, California. Access to this wilderness is via State Route 190 through Panamint Valley approximately 30 miles east of Olancha and along the road into Darwin or down the Darwin Canyon Road. The primary access point is Darwin Canyon Road halfway between Darwin and Olancha, California.^[2]

See also

• Darwin Falls
• Protected areas of the Mojave Desert
• North American desert flora

References

1. ^ http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/wilderness/wa/areas/darwin_falls.html . accessed 6/20/2010
2. ^ http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/wilderness/wilderness_pdfs/maps/1page/darwinfalls.pdf . accessed 6/20/2010

External links

• Official Darwin Falls Wilderness Area website
• Bureau of Land Management: Darwin Falls Wilderness MAP
• Darwin Falls Wilderness photographs
• Darwin Falls Wilderness - Wilderness Institute