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La Madre Wilderness
The La Madre Wilderness is 47,180 acres and is located approximately 12 miles west of Las Vegas, Nevada. This Wilderness Area is jointly managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
The area contains rugged canyons, ridges and mountain peaks. La Madre Mountain dominates the area with spectacular cliffs and steep canyons occurring on its southeast flanks. Elevations range from 3,600 feet in Brownstone Basin to 9,600 feet at La Madre Mountain.
The large variation in elevation, 6,000 feet, provides for a variety of plant communities. They range from South Mohave Desert shrub, to juniper-pinyon woodland, to subalpine communities of white fir and ponderosa pine.
The area is highly scenic and offers excellent views of classic basin and range formations. The Keystone thrust formation above Brownstone Basin, where older limestone has been pushed over younger sandstone, is internationally regarded as the single finest example of a thrust fault.
Prehistoric sites occur throughout the area and include pictographs and petroglyphs, agave roasting pits and rock shelters. Brownstone Canyon is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Directions
The La Madre Mountain Wilderness is located approximately 12 miles west of Las Vegas.
You can access the Wilderness from Lovell Canyon off of State Route 160, or from the Harris Springs Road off of State Route 157.
Maps and trail information are available at the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) Ranger Station.
Nearest Nevada Towns:
- Las Vegas
- Pahrump
- Indian Springs
- Blue Diamond
Maximum Group: NONE
Permits: None Required