Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness, Protected desert wilderness in Eastern Mojave Desert, California.

Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness covers about 14,645 acres at the northern end of the Sacramento Mountains, 18 miles west of Needles along Interstate 40, which forms its northern boundary. Elevations run from 1,400 feet to 3,314 feet at Bannock Peak, the range's high point. Creosote bush scrub dominates, with the densest stand of Bigelow cholla in California's deserts.

The area received wilderness protection in 1994 when the Bureau of Land Management designated it within the National Wilderness Preservation System. This designation secured the land from future development and integrated it into a nationwide conservation network.

The preservation area maintains natural habitats where visitors observe native species while following Leave No Trace environmental protection methods.

Access the wilderness by exiting Interstate 40 at Camino and following the dirt powerline road along the boundary. Visitors should prepare for unpaved roads, intense heat, and sparse water sources.

The cactus is Cylindropuntia bigelovii, called Bigelow cholla in English and often known as the teddy bear cholla for its dense, pale spines. The wilderness holds the densest stand of this species in all of California's deserts, and the plants also grow in the surrounding terrain beyond the boundary.