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By Christina Adams, President, Nevada Trails Coalition. |
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but what it has taken to get the project to where It is today. The project is a recreation area that is open to both
motorized and non-motorized user activities.
Ron Loomis (Team Loomis), Bob Taylor and Bill Civish along with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) got together
to create an Off-Highway Vehicle recreation area. This area would provide trail connections throughout the Logandale/
Overton areas. A lot of time and hard work went into getting the initial leg work done, but due to various reasons,
including budget constraints the project was put on hold. Ron Loomis asked for my help in reactivating the
Nevada Trails Coalition so that we could get the various user groups together to make the trails system a reality.
Within the last two years we have received support from several BLM Las Vegas employees including Dave Wolf and
Dave Barajas. Along with the BLM the Nevada United Four Wheelers Association and others have contributed
both materials and labor. The interpretative garden area which contains representative plant species native to
Southern Nevada and the Mojave desert is complete thanks to the involvement of the Master Gardeners from the
University Cooperative Extension. In a presentation to the Clark County Commissioners The Logandale Recreational
Trails Project was voted to be I of 6 pilot programs for the newly formed Recreational Trails Committee.
We would like to thank them for their support. We would also like to thank Clark County Desert Conservation
Plan Implementation and Monitoring Committee and Ann Schreiber of MRREIAC for helping with the funding of this project.
desert sand. Imagine standing in this very spot over 200 million years .go at the end of the Paleozoic Era.
You would be at the bottom of an inland sea watching limestone form. More than 165 million years ago the world was
very different the pressure of land mass plates forced the limestone crust to thrust up. All around you would be swamps
no rivers. The swamps collected small, fine sand leading to the formation of shale and mudstone. The rivers flowed
through forests of pine trees much like present-day pine, juniper and evergreen trees. The conglomerate rock deposited
by the river also contains the fossilized remains of the conifer trees.
a desert, much Iike the Sahara Desert of today. Winds pushed around giant sand dunes that were about 2000 feet thick.
The red layers in the Aztec Sandstone you see are records of the shifting sand dunes.
The sand has the red color from the oxidation of Iron minerals in the sand.
the older limestone up end over the sandstone in a thrust fault, making the gray mountains you see In the distance.
Today the geologic process in action is erosion. Wind and water have sculpted and created this amazing place
we call Logandale Trails.
The Logandale Trails area, located near the borders of Nevada,
Utah and Arizona, is a transition zone with
representative
plant species from the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts.
Creosote Brush, Black brush Scrub and
Sagebrush Shrub make up
the majority of the plant communities along with cacti.
The area offers a variety of habitats for reptiles, In sandy
areas look for Zebra Tail, Desert Iguana, Long Nosed
Leopard
Lizard and Whiptail. Rocky & areas are home to the Common
Chuckwalla, Desert Collared Lizard.
Along desert flats and
open creosote look for Western Whiptail and the Side-Blotched
lizard.
The area is also home for two protected reptiles, the
Desert Tortoise and the Gila monster.
Along with recreation opportunities Logandale offers bird
watching. Year round residents include the
Red Tailed Hawk,
Golden Eagle, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Turkey
Vulture, Barn Owl and the Great Homed Owl. Logandale is also
on a major migration route for raptors.
Rough-Legged Hawks, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins as well
as migratory songbirds pass through the area on
their spring
and fall journeys to breeding and wintering grounds.
PETROGLYPHS
Petroglyphs can be seen on the walls of many of the rocks in
Logandale. They were created by prehistoric Indians to be
used
in ceremonies. Various symbols include animals, plants,
rainbows and religious symbols. They used the petroglyphs
in
their ceremonies to convey messages to The Great Spirit for
blessings of fertility, miracles, pleasant weather,
and
abundant crops. Petroglyphs are also thought to represent more
practical day-to-day needs of the people such as
good hunting
grounds or the location of water sources. Please do not touch
any of the petroglyphs you may come across. Touching them will
speed up their deterioration. Thank - you.
Logandale Trails is one of the first projects in Southern
Nevada to receive a grant from the Symms National
Recreational
Trails Fund that contains a share of the fuel tax paid for by
the Off-Highway Vehicle users.
Because of the diversity of
recreational uses, all the regulating governmental agencies,
local residents, user groups
and various environmental groups
support this project. It offers a rare opportunity for the
physically challenged
to be able to see and enjoy the
backcountry. With both the motorized and non-motorized
communities coming
together to participate in this trails
system Nevada will be among the leaders in
providing a multiple use recreation
area for ALL of
it's residents.
Trail Access
The trails in Logandale are dedicated to multiple user groups,
so the behavior of all who use the trails will affect the
future of this trails system.
Don't Disturb the Wildlife
Remember the desert is their home we are the visitors.
Stay on the Trail. The desert is fragile, stray tire marks will stay around a long time.
Don't Ride Over Your Head
Please keep yourself your horse, or your equipment under control at all times.
Bike Riders and Motorized Trail Users Should Yield to Hikers and Horses.
Do Not Litter. Pack it in. Pack it out.
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