For a complete listing of public laws and further information on district offices, click here. The East Mojave National Scenic Area was established in 1980. It's a vast piece of land shaped roughly like a wedge of pie, covering most of the ground from the California-Nevada state line west almost to Barstow and between Interstates 15 and 40. In 1994, the California Desert Protection Act altered the status of the area's 1.4 million acres to the Mojave National Preserve and designated slightly less than one half the land as Wilderness. Most of the wildlife sensibly remains hidden during the daylight hours, but you may spot bighorn sheep, mule deer, bobcats, and cougars in the rugged mountains, and rabbits, coyotes, foxes, ground squirrels, pack rats, desert tortoises, lizards, and snakes in the washes and canyons.
Raptors soar throughout the park.
Much of this area is a desert wonderland, seldom visited by humans, and most of it is amenable to foot travel if you carry maps and plenty of water. You are allowed to hike and camp anywhere.