Sawtooth Mountains Potential Wilderness Additions
 Managing
agency: Bureau of Land Management
Size: Approximately 7,858 acres.
Location: San Diego County.
Description:
- Desert and mixed chaparral habitats
- Sensitive species include the endangered Peninsular
bighorn sheep, southwestern willow flycatcher, and the Mount Laguna alumroot
Tucked between the Laguna
Mountains to the west and the Colorado Desert to the east, the Sawtooth Mountains potential wilderness
additions represent an abrupt transition zone between the Peninsular Ranges and the Colorado Desert,
as well as a vital link for wildlife between Cleveland National Forest and Anza Borrego Desert
State Park lands.
With a vertical drop of 4,000 feet in a little over a mile, the area forms a sheer connection between high, dense mountain forests and low, rugged desert valleys. Vegetation includes both mixed chaparral and desert scrub.
Two units make up the potential additions to the Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness: the
Sawtooth Wilderness Study Area (WSA) "A" (contiguous to and northwest of the existing Sawtooth Wilderness)
and the area to the north known as Oriflamme Mountain. The potential additions plus the previously designated Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
area total 41,500 acres. This large acreage helps guarantee a viable desert ecosystem.
Designated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as critical habitat for the endangered Peninsular bighorn
sheep, Sawtooth “A” forms part of a vital corridor between bighorn ewe groups. Biologists believe that the
survival of this species depends on the
ability of bighorn sheep rams to travel
between ewe groups.
The Sawtooth Mountains additions also support the southernmost
population of western redbud, the sensitive Mount Laguna alumroot, and Ayenia
compact, as well as the endangered least Bell's vireo and southwestern
willow flycatcher.
With their stunning topographical features, the Sawtooth Mountains potential additions offer outstanding outdoor recreation. In Sawtooth "A," the Sawtooth Range provides a steep route up to Garnet Peak in the Cleveland National Forest. The Oriflamme Mountain area contains the headwaters of lovely Oriflamme Creek.
The Sawtooth Mountains
Additions offer a great diversity
of plants and animals due to
the large elevation variation.
This biological diversity
makes the lands extremely valuable
for scientific research,
education, and preservation.
Access: From mile 33.3 on Sunrise Highway (S-1) and from Highway S-2 in Mason Valley.
For more information, please contact:
Geoffrey Smith
Phone: (858) 566-5676
Email: gsmith@thecomputersmith.com
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Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
