Great Falls Basin WSA

A perennial spring supplies the water flowing through a short distance in the Great Falls Basin Wilderness, and that reach has cut a narrow and deep slot in the bedrock forming several falls. The steep mountainous terrain includes granite outcrops which provide opportunities for cross country hiking and exploration. Elevations range from 2,000-4,500 feet. Vegetation is mixed desert scrub, with the dominant plant being creosote. In the higher elevations, the vegetation changes to heavier upland scrub with yucca, mountain mahogany, and some pinyon and juniper trees. The Inyo brown towhee, a state-listed rare bird species, frequents the basin, as do desert bighorn sheep.

Visitors might not think of the desert as a place for water, but year-round water creates a cooling and refreshing hideaway in this normally hot desert.

For more information about this wilderness, please visit Wilderness Connect.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). For more information on any of the principles listed below, please visit Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Rules and Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport are generally prohibited on all federal lands designated as wilderness. This includes the use of motor vehicles (including OHVs), motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters, unless provided for in specific legislation. In a few areas some exceptions allowing the use of motorized equipment or mechanical transport are described in the special regulations in effect for a specific area. Contact the agency for more information about regulations.