The long, north-south oval of Malpais Mesa (2,300 feet) stands dominant in the middle of this Wilderness area perched at the southern end of the Inyo Mountains. Rugged valleys, deep canyons, sheer mountainsides, and smaller mesas can all be found within close proximity. From Death Valley National Park in the east, the bajada rises gradually to the mesa's summit; the t...

The Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness is a wilderness area located on the northern side of Mount Hood in the northwestern Cascades of the U.S. state of Oregon, near the Columbia River Gorge and within Mount Hood National Forest. Prior to Wilderness designation it was known as the Columbia Gorge Recreation Area. The slopes of the Wilderness rise steeply to a slightly uneven ...

The Mecca Hills Wilderness is near the town of Indio, about an hour southeast of Palm Springs, California. The dramatic and colorful Mecca Hills were formed by the convergence of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate along the San Andreas Fault. The powerful fault system there has pushed up and overturned layers of rock—some over 600 million years old&m...

The Monument Rock Wilderness Area is a wilderness area within the Malheur and Wallowa–Whitman national forests in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. It was designated by the United States Congress in 1984 and comprises 19,650 acres (7,950 ha). There are approximately 15 miles (24 km) of trails maintained in the wilderness. Monument Rock Wildern...

The Mount Irish Range is a mountain range in Lincoln County, Nevada. The range is bounded by the Coal Valley to the north, the Pahranagat Valley to the east, the Tikaboo Valley to the southwest and the Wild Horse Valley to the northwest. Surrounding ranges include the Seaman Range and Hiko Range to the east, the Pahranagat Range and East Pahranagat Range to the south ...

The Mount Jefferson Wilderness is a wilderness area located on and around Mount Jefferson in the central Cascade Range of Oregon in the United States. It is situated where the Willamette, Deschutes, and Mount Hood National Forests meet. Mount Jefferson Wilderness is the second most visited Oregon wilderness area after the Three Sisters Wilderness. Common recreational ...

The Mount Tipton Wilderness is a 30,760-acre wilderness area located in northwestern Arizona that comprises the north portion of the Cerbat Mountains. Mount Tipton, at 7,148 feet, is the wilderness area’s highest peak, and the community of Dolan Springs the nearest access point. Dolan Springs is located on the northwest flank of the Cerbat Mountains and directly...

Rugged and sublime landscapes with nothing but the wind and bird songs to break the silence are the main attraction at Mount Wilson Wilderness. Though this wilderness area may look stark and forbidding, it can be deceiving, hiding several dependable year-round springs that support wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for desert bighorn sheep as well as evidence of old mini...

This region of shadowy slot canyons, mind-bending geological formations, and expansive views of Lake Mead is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Solitude and silence are common throughout the 3,521 acres of narrow canyons and gravelly washes found inside Lake Mead NRA. Encompassed by this wilderness area are some of the...

Munds Mountain Wilderness is an 18,150-acre (7,345 ha) wilderness area in the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is immediately southeast of Sedona between Arizona State Route 179 and Interstate 17. The wilderness lies within the Munds Mountain and Sedona quadrangles of the national topographic map of the United States Geological Survey. Several...

Along the western side of Lake Mead National Recreation Area and nestled in the isolated Newberry Mountains sits Nellis Wash Wilderness area, where fingerlike drainages and alluvial fans extend eastward from the mountains toward Lake Mohave. It is also within Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. Some mining once occurred in the area, which adds an historic element and feeli...

The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 29,301-acre (11,858 ha) wilderness area located east of Bend in Deschutes and Crook counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System and was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by Pre...

The Otay Mountain Truck Trail travels on the ridge tops of the San Ysidro Mountains and is frequented by the friendly U.S. Border Patrol as one can view the international border, San Diego Bay and San Ysidro Mountains. This is a popular off-road driving area. The Otay Mountain Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Diego County, California, 12 miles eas...

The Owens Peak Wilderness is a 73,767-acre (298.52 km2) wilderness area comprising the rugged eastern face of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Owens Peak (8,445 ft) is the high point. The land was set aside with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-433) by the US Congress. The mountainous terrain has deep, winding, open and expansive...

The Owyhee River Wilderness is located on the high basalt plateaus of Owyhee County in southwestern Idaho in the western United States. The wilderness area is named after and protects the upper Owyhee River, its tributaries, and the surrounding desert canyon landscape. Whitewater rafting is a popular recreational activity in this wilderness area. Managed by the Bureau...