The United States Congress designated the Malpais Mesa Wilderness Area as part of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 and it now has a total of 32,360 acres. For a complete listing of public laws and further information on district offices, click here. Rugged valleys, deep canyons, sheer mountainsides, and smaller mesas can all be found within close proximity.
Mule deer abound, and golden eagles nest and forage in the area.
The remains of the old Santa Rosa Mines lie at the end of a dirt track, part of a non-Wilderness corridor near the foot of the mesa.