It is with great excitement that we are sharing our plans for a bold new project in the Amargosa Basin: the Bill Christian Trailhead.
For many years, public access to the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River in the Amargosa Canyon has been limited by challenges presented by private land holdings and the rugged topography of the Amargosa Basin country. Our organization, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, China Ranch Date Farm, and California State Parks, has taken steps to address this by developing a trailhead along Willow Creek at China Ranch. This trailhead has been hugely successful in attracting visitors to the Tecopa area, providing the public with access to the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River, and supporting local businesses and agriculture.
However, there remains no legal access to the north end of the Amargosa Canyon, a stunning section of the Amargosa River with hanging gardens, diverse flora and fauna, and a rich cultural history. Not only is this part of the canyon an incredibly important area for conducting hydrological and biological research, but it also a wonderful place to explore and encounter the beauty and biodiversity of this wild landscape. The Amargosa Canyon also contains a historically significant portion of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, a trading and migration route that once connected Santa Fe, NM to Los Angeles, CA. The springs of the Amargosa Basin provided travelers with an essential source of water and shade as they made their arduous trek across the Mojave Desert.
In light of all of these incredible recreational, historical, and ecological values, our organization is working on creating the Bill Christian Trailhead as a new public access trail to the north end of the Amargosa Canyon. Bill Christian was one of the original champions for the Amargosa Basin with The Nature Conservancy, and a founding member of the Amargosa Conservancy. Bill worked collaboratively with land owners and management agencies to secure permanent conservation of some of the most critical wildlife habitat in the Basin. Bill also recognized the need for more public access to the Amargosa Canyon, and the proposed trailhead we hope to name in his memory would do just that.
In addition to creating access, the Bill Christian Trailhead presents an exciting opportunity to provide a new pathway for locals and visitors alike to experience and enjoy the scenic and natural wonders of the area while also supporting the growing tourism economies in Tecopa and Shoshone.
Concept art of the trailhead and parking area
We are currently working with relevant agency staff, local landowners and local government to determine appropriate trailhead and route locations in accordance with federal and county regulations and hope to share that information soon. The included images are concept artwork we have developed to show what the proposed trailhead might look like once implemented, but are not representative of official site plans.
We can’t wait to see this vision for the Amargosa Canyon become a reality with the help of our partners, members, and volunteers and we will provide updates as they become available. Please reach out to us at info@amargosaconservancy.org for questions or to find out how you can be a part of this exciting project!