Desert Tortoise Natural Area

Desert Tortoise Natural Area is a protected preserve in the western Mojave Desert of Southern California, in eastern Kern County near the Rand Mountains and northeast of California City. Established in 1980, it was set aside to protect the native desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, which is also recognized as the California state reptile. The Bureau of Land Management designated it both an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and a Research Natural Area, underscoring the value of its habitat. The area now includes an interpretive center and continues to support conservation and research in a representative Mojave Desert landscape.

California City, California · United States