A rugged Sonoran desert wilderness of dark volcanic ridges along the lower Colorado River.
Little Picacho Wilderness
Little Picacho Wilderness is a Bureau of Land Management wilderness area in southeastern California, forming a southern extension of the Chocolate Mountains near the lower Colorado River. Covering roughly 38,000 acres of arid Sonoran desert terrain, the area is defined by dark, sharply silhouetted volcanic ridges, dry washes, and dramatic elevation changes from the river lowlands to the heights of Picacho Peak.
The wilderness supports a notable mix of characteristic desert wildlife, including a well-documented population of free-roaming wild horses in its northwestern sector, as well as desert bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, wild burros, and a variety of bat species. Its location, adjacent to the Colorado River corridor and within the Lower Colorado River Valley system, places it in a region of strong ecological and geographic importance.
Although less famous than some California desert wildernesses, Little Picacho is recognized for its combination of dark mountain scenery, wildlife habitat, and sense of remoteness. It is one of several federally protected landscapes that anchor the desert region between Yuma, Arizona and Blythe, California.