Desert National Wildlife Range
The Desert National Wildlife Range encompasses 1.6 million acres of the Mojave Desert in southern Nevada 25 miles north of Las Vegas, and is the largest national wildlife refuge in the continental 48 states. The range was established May 20, 1936, for the protection, enhancement, and maintenance of the desert bighorn sheep.
It forms one of the largest intact blocks of desert bighorn sheep habitat remaining in the Southwest. Desert Range contains six major mountain ranges with elevations from 2,400 feet to almost 10,000 feet. Rainfall amounts vary from 4 to 15 inches; the various elevations, have created amazingly diverse habitats suited to a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Over 500 species of plants have been identified in plant communities or zones varying from saltbrush on the valley floors to ponderosa pine, white fir, and bristlecone pine at the highest elevations. The wide variety of vegetative communities provides ideal habitat for many birds, mammals, and reptiles.
