Cerro Gordo

Name: Cerro Gordo
Acreage: 5,800
Location: east of Lone Pine

Natural Values:

Hike up the rugged slopes of Cerro Gordo and you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Panamint Mountains to the east.

The vegetation that grows is a mixture of desert species found in the Mojave and Great Basin deserts. Many of the lower areas are almost completely barren, but in some of these areas you may find creosote bush and Joshua trees baking in the relentless desert sun. Hike up in elevation, and you will find pinyon pine and juniper growing in rocky outcroppings.

This is yearlong habitat for mule deer and a rare stopping point for desert bighorn. In addition, this area is home to two types of quail (Mountain and California), the Inyo Mountain salamander, and two rare plants: Eriogonum eremicola and Perityle inyoensis.

Prior to 1994, Cerro Gordo WSA included 16,102 acres of land in the
Inyo Mountains. After passage of the California Desert Protection Act
(1994), most of the land in Cerro Gordo WSA became designated
wilderness, save the 5,800 acres that today remain under WSA status.

Cultural Values:

This area is in the ethnographic territory of the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, and there are prehistoric sites of pinyon nut gathering as well as remnants of temporary hunting camps. The Saline Valley Salt Tram, the steepest tram in the United States, runs through this WSA. The tram's construction was started in 1911 and it was used to transport salt from Saline Valley to the Owens Valley.

Recreational Values:
Hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, hunting