Desert Tortoise Natural Area
The Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area is a area in the western Mojave Desert, located in eastern Kern County, Southern California. It was created to protect the native desert tortoise, which is also the California state reptile.
The area is located at the southwestern end of the Rand Mountains, northeast of California City, and has an interpretive center for visitors.
The Bureau of Land Management recognized the significance of the area and designated it an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" and as a "Research Natural Area" in 1980.
