Alta Toquima Wilderness
The Alta Toquima Wilderness is a sanctuary from the type of wilderness area in Nye County in the U.S. state of Nevada. The area is located in the central region of the mountain range of the Toquima Mountain Range and covers an area of approximately 145 km ². It bears the name of the 7,000 -year-old prehistoric settlement Alta Toquima below the peak of 3640 meter high Mount Jefferson.
Description
The reserve was established in 1989 as part of the Nevada Wilderness Protection Act of 1989 by the Congress of the United States. At the same time 13 other Wilderness Areas in Nevada were reported with a total area of 2966 km ². As Wilderness Area no tourist or other infrastructure has been created, there are no roads, but there are trails entertained.
The character of the area is characterized by high mountains with steep rugged cliffs and gorges. To the west of Toquima Mountain Range, the Big Smoky Valley is with the Nevada State Route 376 and the town of Round Mountain Round Mountain gold mine with the Southwest. From the north the land rises increasingly rugged. In the center of the mountain range is home to Mount Jefferson, from its summit on a clear day, the distant view to the neighboring states of California and Utah last. In the east, the land falls away to Monitor Valley. The area is part of the National Forest area Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The 7000 years old prehistoric settlement Alta Toquima, which was discovered in 1978 in the summit region of Mount Jefferson by David Hurst Thomas is the highest known settlement of indian origin ..
Nearly 100 years earlier, in August 1877, already the naturalist John Muir explored the mountains and led in particular considerations of the valley and landforms as effects of glaciers from the ice age, which he wrote as Glacial Phenomena in Nevada.
Flora and Fauna
In the deeper layers of the grasses and plants of sagebrush steppes grow at higher ranges dominate Pinion - Juniper shrub companies, Flexible pines and aspens. While living in Pine Creek trout, there is on the slopes of bighorn sheep, deer, sage grouse and chukar. Habicht, Saw Whet Owl, Western Fence iguana and Spiny Lizard complement the range of species.