Palen Mountains
{{Short description|Landform in Riverside County, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Palen Mountains
| native_name =
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| country = United States
| state = California
| region =
| district = Riverside County
| topo_map = Palen Mountains
| topo_maker = USGS
| border =
| range_coordinates = {{coord|33|47|48|N|115|03|39|W|type:mountain_scale:300000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| highest =
| elevation_m = 596
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| map = California
| map_caption = location of Palen Mountains in California{{cite gnis|id=247120|name=Palen Mountains|accessdate=2009-05-04}}
}}
The Palen Mountains are located in the southern Mojave Desert – northern Colorado Desert in eastern Riverside County, California, US. The range lies southeast of the Coxcomb Mountains, and northeast of the Chuckwalla Mountains near Interstate 10. The mountains lie in a southwest-northeasterly direction and are approximately 15 miles long and nine miles wide at their widest point.
Desert Lily Preserve
Palen Pass, at 1,472 feet above sea level, lies at the northern end of the chain, with Palen Dry Lake and the Bureau of Land Management designated and managed Edmund C. Jaeger Nature Sanctuary[http://www.recreationparks.net/CA/riverside/edmund-c-jaeger-nature-sanctuary-desert-center Edmund C. Jaeger Nature Sanctuary] to the west of the range in the southern Palen Valley. It preserves the beautiful Desert Lily (Hesperocallis undulata), many other native desert plants, and an important undeveloped "land bridge" wildlife corridor.[http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/ChuckwallaValley1.html Chuckwalla Valley]
Palen/McCoy Wilderness Area
The Palen Mountains are in the Palen/McCoy Wilderness Area,[http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/wilderness/palen-mccoy.html Palen/McCoy Wilderness Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422033106/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/wilderness/palen-mccoy.html |date=2014-04-22 }} managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Within the Palen-McCoy Wilderness are the Palen, Granite, Arica, Little Maria, and McCoy Mountains, which are five distinct mountain ranges separated by broad sloping alluvial fans-bajadas. Because this large area incorporates so many major geological features, the diversity of vegetation and landforms is exceptional. The desert-wash woodland found here provides food and cover for burro deer, coyote, bobcat, gray fox, and mountain lion. Desert pavement, bajadas, interior valleys, canyons, dense ironwood forests, canyons, and rugged peaks form a constantly changing landscape pattern.http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wilderness/wa/photos/palenmccoy.html . accessed 6/24/2010 . BLM public domain sourced
See also
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite book|first=Stuart|last=Allan|title=California Road and Recreation Atlas|year=2005|publisher=Benchmark Maps|isbn=0-929591-80-1|page=113}}
- {{GNIS|247120|Palen Mountains}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140422033106/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/wilderness/palen-mccoy.html Palen-McCoy Wilderness Area] BLM Official Website
- [http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/ChuckwallaValley1.html Basin and Range Watch: Chuckwalla Valley]
- [http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/wilderness/wilderness_pdfs/maps/1page/palmsprings/palenmccoy.pdf BLM Palen-McCoy Wilderness Map]
- [http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wilderness/wa/photos/palenmccoy.html Palen-McCoy Wilderness Area photographs]
{{Protected Areas of California|NPS}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Mountain ranges of the Colorado Desert
Category:Protected areas of the Colorado Desert
Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert
Category:Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert
Category:Mountain ranges of Riverside County, California
Category:Protected areas of Riverside County, California