La Madre Mountains Wilderness

La Madre Mountains Wilderness is a nature reserve spanning across Clark County with limestone cliffs, canyons, and mountain peaks. The landscape changes from steep ridge lines to deep valleys carved through varied rock formations.

The area became protected wilderness in 2002 when the Las Vegas Valley Public Lands Act designated it for conservation. This decision followed growing interest in safeguarding the region's natural and geological features.

The mountains hold rock art panels and stone tools left by Native American peoples over centuries of habitation. These remains offer insight into how people lived and moved through these canyons and ridges.

The wilderness contains no developed trails or facilities, so visitors must bring their own water and navigation tools. Planning ahead for the remote terrain and changing elevations is important for any visit.

The Keystone Thrust Fault displays older gray limestone layers sitting directly atop younger red sandstone, a striking geological anomaly. This unusual arrangement reveals how powerful earth movements shifted entire rock masses in this region.