The Santa Rosa Wilderness is a

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

in Southern California, in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Riverside and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

counties,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It is in the Colorado Desert section of the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Ariz ...

, above the Coachella Valley and Lower Colorado River Valley regions in a

Peninsular Range The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...

, between La Quinta to the north and

Anza Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, '' AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and ...

to the south. The

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

established the wilderness in 1984 with the passage of the California Wilderness Act (Public Law 98-425), managed by both the

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

(

San Bernardino National Forest The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States National Forest in Southern California encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernard ...

, 13,801 acres) and the Bureau of Land Management (58,458 acres ). In 2009, the

Omnibus Public Land Management Act The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (, ) is a land management law passed in the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. The bill designates millions of acres in the US as protected a ...

(P.L. 111–11) was signed into law which added more than . Most of the Santa Rosa Wilderness is within the

Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is a National Monument in southern California. It includes portions of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountain ranges, the northernmost ones of the Peninsular Ranges system. The national ...

. The Santa Rosa Mountains have areas of cultural significance containing primitive trails, roasting pits, milling stations, rock shelters and examples of rock art. Native Americans have identified areas that are currently used for temporary habitation, resource collection and ritual hunting. Remains of historical early settlement and mining include quarry sites, mining prospects and water improvements associated with natural springs.

Wildlife, vegetation and topography

The wilderness protects habitat that supports the largest herd of Peninsular

bighorn sheep The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspec ...

(''Ovis canadensis'') in the country. The Bighorn Institute, a non-profit research group established in 1982 by several biologists and veterinarians, estimates approximately 60 adult sheep live in the Santa Rosa Mountains, and a total population of 800 sheep in the Peninsular Ranges north of Mexico. The Peninsular Range bighorn sheep (United States population) is a subspecies that has been protected since 1971 under the

California Endangered Species Protection Act California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and federally protected since 1998 under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Peninsular Range bighorn sheep herd utilize the entire range between 1,000 to elevation. Bear Creek, Deep Canyon and Martinez Canyon are important as summer concentration areas and provide the rugged escape terrain necessary for lambing. Besides bighorn sheep, there are also

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whi ...

, bobcat and coyote. Native rare plants in the Santa Rosa Wilderness include shrubs such as Santa Rosa

sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

(''Salvia eremostachya''), and Nuttall's scrub

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

(''Quercus dumosa''). Perennial herbs include Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon ( ''Linanthus floribundus ssp. hallii''), and triple ribbed milkvetch (''Astragalus tricarinatus''). The rugged terrain is formed by uplifted blocks of

igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...

and

metamorphic Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...

rocks situated between two major tectonic fault zones, the San Andreas and the San Jacinto. Perennial streams erode the steep-walled canyons and support large

fan palm Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms (Arecaceae) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed (rather than pinnately compound). Most are members of the subfamily Coryphoideae, though a few ...

oases. The Santa Rosa Mountain range and the two faults all trend northwest–southeast and are part of the

s that extend from Southern California to Baja, Mexico.

Recreation

The Santa Rosa Wilderness joins wilderness areas in the

along its western border and the designated California State Wilderness in

to the south. Recreational activities in the Santa Rosa Wilderness include

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

, day hiking, and nature study/photography. *The Boo Hoff equestrian trail is one of the few trails in the wilderness that is constructed and maintained by a local equestrian club. *The Cactus Spring Trail which is an ancient aboriginal pathway, links the Santa Rosa plateau with the desert floor in the Coachella Valley. To the west, this trail connects with designated wilderness areas in the San Bernardino National Forest. * Oases trails **Bear Creek Oasis **Lost Canyon Oasis *Guadelupe Canyon and Devil Canyon *Rockhouse Canyon and valley, in the southern wilderness area, has remnants of early Native American and European settlers. *Rabbit Peak, located near the southeastern boundary, is a notable desert peak for its challenging climb to the summit. Local Sierra Club chapters lead organized day and overnight trips to the peak. Universities and local colleges utilize the Santa Rosa Mountains frequently as a living laboratory for scientific and informal studies and outings. Hunting is restricted to the southern half of the wilderness since the northern portion is located within a State Wildlife Refuge. Deer, quail and dove are hunted in season.

Notes

References

External links

* * *
Summitpost's webpage on Rabbit Peak.
---- {{authority control Wilderness areas of California Protected areas of the Colorado Desert Protected areas of Riverside County, California Coachella Valley Oases of California Santa Rosa Mountains (California) Bureau of Land Management areas in California IUCN Category Ib Protected areas established in 1984 1984 establishments in California

Wildlife, vegetation and topography

Recreation

See also

Notes

References

External links