If you take your dog with you, you probably should have him on a leash, so he doesn t scare the wildlife. Most of the wilderness areas of the Black Rock are at the eastern edge of the desert, which is bounded by the Jackson Mountains. The Granite Range to the west, however, is not a wilderness area. You can hike up to the ridge of the lower Granites from a granite pit off CR 34 a few miles after entering the desert. As you hike along the ridge, you have a good chance of seeing wild horses, burros, antelope and deer, since the sagebrush there makes a good home turf for them.
Raptors are in the area, but little evidence of migratory birds.
And yes, there are snakes. Snakes just are where snakes are supposed to be, Bilbo says. There are bull snakes here and there are rattlesnakes. Generally speaking, the rule of thumb is to go around and don t mess with them. When people come out here, they have to be prepared and be heads-up at all times.