The 1979 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Initial Wilderness Inventory of the northern Grant Range identified over 272,600 acres for intensive Wilderness study. By the time of the 1980 BLM proposed wilderness findings, the recommended acreage had been reduce to 58,800 acres for the Blue Eagle Wilderness Study Area (WSA) and 54,400 acres for Riordan's Well WSA. 

The spectacular, thick-bedded limestone of Blue Eagle Mountain creates a fortress plateau surrounded by sheer cliffs on three sides. Reminiscent of the hidden realms in stories such as The Lost World, this 9000-foot island-in-the-sky supports a forest of white fir, ponderosa, limber pine, and bristlecone pine. The Blue Eagle WSAs rocky cliffs and deep, narrow canyons provide refuge for an indigenous band of Nevada's big horn sheep. Tiers of limestone cliffs and precipitous canyons barred by dry waterfalls create navigational challenges for the explorer. Native American pictographs have been found near the numerous springs around the mountain's base. The diverse wildlife of Blue Eagle WSA, Riordan's Well WSA, Grant Range Wilderness, and Quinn Canyon Range Wilderness rely upon springs in this otherwise dry region of Nevada. These four land units fit together to make a complete ecosystem. Wilderness designation is a must for the protection of this complex, interdependent community.