Before Word Gets Out, Visit Nevada's Newest National Park Service Site
By Christy Articola
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Published September 11, 2023
Do you like national parks? Who doesn’t, right? Well, you might be excited to learn that there’s a brand new National Parks Service site in our beautiful state. Avi Kwa Ame National Monument , also known as Spirit Mountain, is a 506,000-acre site in the Mojave Desert. It was established as a national monument under the authority of the Antiquities Act by President Joe Biden on March 21, 2023. It’s beautiful, historic, and unique, and you’re going to love everything about Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada. Read on to learn more.
The Spirit Mountain Wilderness, now known as Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, is exceptionally beautiful.
More than that, though, it's considered to be one of the most sacred places on earth by the Mojave, Chemeheuvi, and some Southern Paiute people.
It's also important to many other tribal groups including the Cocopah, Halchidhoma, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Kumeyaay, Maricopa, Pai Pai, Quechan, Yavapai, and Zuni Tribes.
In fact, this land is central to the creation story of many tribes.
However, it also offers access to camping, hunting, hiking, OHV use, photography, and other recreational activities to the general public.
The fact that this land has now been designated a national monument means that roads, flood control, utilities, wildlife water catchments, and other features can be maintained and upgraded through the National Park Service moving forward.
The designation will keep it safe from future industrial development and will help to protect this unique land, habitat, and cultural resource for generations.
Avi Kwa Ame National Monument is in southern Clark County, not far from Nevada's biggest population centers. Tourists will enjoy getting away from the city to explore and enjoy its immense beauty.
When you hike in this national monument, you'll be amazed at the number of petroglyphs that you find.
And the night sky in this park will blow you away.
Everywhere you look, you'll see incredible rock formations.
Animals found in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument include bighorn sheep, desert tortoise, and golden eagles. There are also over 200 endemic plants.
Significant habitat of the Joshua Tree is in the western portion of the property.
Because of the indigenous influence on the area, the National Park Service will work with these groups to manage the land. An advisory committee with a majority of members belonging to Tribal Nations will work together in co-stewardship of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
This relationship will be similar to the co-stewardship between the NPS and Tribal Nations over Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.
Avi Kwa Ame is a unique national monument that is important to so many people already and which is sure to become important to many more moving forward.
Check it out as soon as you are able. You're sure to fall in love with this very special, beautiful, and spiritual place.
This new National Park Service property is amazing. You will be blown away by its beauty and you will quickly be able to both see and feel why the native people of the west believe that it is sacred. Plan a visit to this land soon! You’ll want to come back time and time again to Avi Kwa Ame to see more of it and to go deeper into the exploration of its immense beauty.
Planning on hiking in Avi Kwa Ame? Check out our Ultimate Hiking Packing List: 75 Must-Have Hiking Accessories to make sure you have all the gear you need!
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Spirit Mountain, Nevada 89046, USA