About the California Desert District

The Bureau of Land Management, California Desert District mission is to protect the natural, historic, recreation and economic riches, and scenic beauty of the California Desert. Congress created the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) in 1976.  This area covers almost one-quarter of California, or about 26 million acres.  The BLM California Desert District (CDD) cares for almost half of that total, or 10.4 million acres.  In 1980, the BLM completed a balanced multiple-use plan with the public's help to guide management of the area.  The plan divides the desert into multiple-use classes for protection, use and development, and established a number of special management areas to ensure preservation of sensitive resources.

The CDD also manages 300,000 acres of scattered parcels outside the CDCA in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and San Diego Counties.  The District is divided into five resource areas: Ridgecrest, Palm Springs/South Coast, El Centro, Barstow and Needles, and currently employs over 200 full time employees.

Desert District (All Five Resource Areas)

• 85 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
• 69 Wilderness Areas, covering approximately 3.5 million acres
• 22 Wilderness Study Areas
• Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
• Desert Tortoise Natural Area
• 9 Watchable Wildlife Sites
• 1 National Scenic Byway
• 2 National Trails: Pacific Crest and San Juan Bautista
• 6 National Natural Landmarks
• 10 Off-Highway Vehicle Areas
• Regional Wild Horse and Burro Facility
• Geothermal, Wind, and Solar Energy
• 8 Energy Production and Utility Corridors
• Historic Bradshaw Trail
• 4 Long-Term Visitor Areas
• 11 Campgrounds 

District Office Hours:

8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.   Closed on Weekends and Holidays

Maps for Sale:

Desert Access Guides - $4.00/map                                                      

Call to order with a credit card.       

(There are 31 for Southern California)

We do not carry USGS Topographic Maps.