Services, Getting There

Getting there: From the Boulder Highway/Highway 95 interchange, take Highway 95 south for approximately 55 miles. Then take Nevada State Route 163 toward Laughlin for about 13 miles to the Grapevine Canyon turnoff. Travel north two miles. Services: Laughlin is about 10 road miles or 5 air miles to the south; Searchlight is about 20 miles to the northwest.

Hikes & Trails

Related Areas

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Map Information

USGS topo: Bridge Canyon & Spirit Mountain. BLM 100k: Davis Dam.

Wilderness Area Status

Designated Wilderness Area
Year Designated: 2002
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Act or Law: Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002
Acres: 7761
State Region: Southern Nevada
County Regions: Clark   

Management

Managing Agency: National Park Service
Local District: Alan Bible Visitor Center
Contact Info: (702) 293-8990
151 Lakeshore Scenic Drive  Las Vegas, NV89101
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Area Description

The Bridge Canyon Wilderness Area offers the best that southern Nevada landscapes have to offer. Sculpted granite rock formations rise impressively from the landscape, which is home to a cross-section of Sonoran, Mojave and Great Basin plant communities. Rock-studded canyons slope gently eastward toward the Colorado River.

Creosote, mesquite, catclaw, yucca, several species of cacti, desert scrub oak and one of the northernmost populations of smoke tree dominate lower slopes, while pinion pine and juniper trees find hold in the higher elevations.

Mammals include desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, cactus mouse, canyon mouse, desert wood rat, long-tailed hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, peregrine falcon, cactus wren, Costa's hummingbird, Crissal thrasher and Bell's vireo.

Reptiles include western chuckwalla, fence lizard, Great Basin gopher snake, leopard lizard, southwestern speckled rattlesnake, large spotted leopard lizard, Great Basin whiptail, desert iguana, zebra-tailed lizard, yellow-backed spiny lizard, Great Basin collared lizard, Mojave patch-nosed snake, Mojave rattlesnake, desert banded gecko, Western long-nosed snake, Mojave shovel-nosed snake and red coachwhip. The desert tortoise finds critical habitat here.

Sensitive species include the California leaf-nosed bat, banded Gila monster, Townsend's big-eared bat, and Yuma myotis.

Inspiring cultural heritage
Lying directly south of Avikwame, or Spirit Mountain, significant in the spiritual birth of Fort Mojave and other native tribes of the region, it's not surprising that this area contains resources of high cultural significance. Grapevine Canyon, at the southeast edge of the wilderness is home to one of the more significant petroglyph sites in all of Nevada. A short walk from the parking area leads to hundreds of petroglyphs beginning at the mouth of the canyon. Although little is known about the actual meaning of the petroglyphs, their proximity to Spirit Mountain supports theories that this site has high religious significance.

This region is sacred to Native American peoples. Please respect it as you would your own place of worship. Please do not touch, alter or destroy any archaeological resources. They are protected by law and irreplaceable. Once they're gone, they're gone forever.

Wildlife: California Leaf-nosed Bat, Banded Gila Monster, Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Yuma Myotis, Cave Myotis, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Long-nosed Leopard Lizard, Great Basin Whiptail, Desert Iguana, Zebra-tailed Lizard, Mojave Rattlesnake, Costa's Humming