The Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area (DTRNA) is a 39.5-square-mile (102 km) area in the western Mojave Desert , located in eastern Kern County , Southern California . It was created to protect the native desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ) , which is also the California state reptile .
4-610: The area is located at the southwestern end of the Rand Mountains , northeast of California City , and has an interpretive center for visitors. 640 acres (260 ha) of the land was given to the Bureau of Land Management in a 1980 agreement over the Great Western Cities Company land schemes as part of an effort to acquire clear title . The Bureau of Land Management recognized the significance of
8-684: The Mojave Desert northeast of California City and southwest of the town of Randsburg . The mountains were the location of the Rand Mining District, with the mining towns of Randsburg, Red Mountain , and Johannesburg , now approaching ghost town status. The mountains lie in a southwest-northeasterly direction at the eastern edge of the Fremont Valley . The Scodie Mountains and the Sierra Nevada are to
12-402: The area and designated it an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" and as a "Research Natural Area" in 1980. 35°10′13″N 117°54′01″W / 35.17028°N 117.90028°W / 35.17028; -117.90028 This Kern County, California -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Rand Mountains The Rand Mountains are located in
16-488: The west. The range stretches approximately 15 miles from the Desert Tortoise Natural Area to the old mining areas of Randsburg. The principal peaks of the range are Government Peak, at 4,741 feet, and Sidney Peak, at 4,372 feet above sea level. The Rand Mountains receive very little rainfall in a normal year, typically less than seven inches. This Kern County, California -related article
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