| Granite Mountains | |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | California |
| District: | Riverside County |
| Topo Map: | Palen Pass |
| Topo Maker: | USGS |
| Range Coordinates: | 33.9703°N -115.0728°W |
| Elevation M: | 1326 |
| Map: | California |
The Granite Mountains are a mountain range in northern Riverside County, California, United States. The range is east of Joshua Tree National Park, and is one of four mountain ranges in the Mojave Desert to share this name. The range is about 12 miles northwest to southeast, and about 4 miles wide. It is in the Palen/McCoy Wilderness, administered by the Bureau of Land Management.[1]
The range is in the southeast part of the Granite Pass USGS topographic quadrangle map, in the southwest part of East of Granite Pass, the northeast corner of West of Palen Pass, and the northern part of Palen Pass. The range is east of the Coxcomb Mountains in Joshua Tree Wilderness, south of Iron Mountain, West of the Arica Mountains and the Little Maria Mountains, and north of the Palen Mountains. The high point is 4351 feet above sea level, at 33.9701741N, -115.0728024W.[2]
The mountains are entirely composed of Mesozoic granitic rocks.[3]
Little has been published on the flora and fauna of these mountains. A hiker's blog mentions Parkinsonia (palo verde) and Yucca.[4] The Calflora database lists Brassica tournefortii (Saharan mustard), Crossidium squamiferum, Fouquieria splendens (ocotillo), Grimmia orbicularis, Juniperus californica (California juniper), and Stillingia spinulosa (broad leaved stillingia).[5] One document notes that these mountains are part of the range for desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni).[6]