Juniper Dunes Wilderness

The Juniper Dunes Wilderness is a protected wilderness area comprising 7,140 acres (28.9 km²) in Franklin County, Washington. Established in 1984, it is noteworthy for the northernmost growth of western juniper trees that live among the area's large sand dunes.[1]

Juniper Dunes Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Juniper Dunes
LocationFranklin County, Washington, USA
Nearest cityPasco, WA
Coordinates46°23′30″N 118°51′20″W
Area7,140 acres (28.9 km²)
Established1984
Governing bodyUnited States Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management

Flora and fauna

Common wildlife found in Juniper Dunes Wilderness include mule deer, bobcat, coyote, badger, skunk, weasel, porcupine, pocket gopher, kangaroo rat, several species of mouse, hawk, owl, raven, quail, partridge, pheasant, dove, numerous songbirds, and rattlesnakes.[1]

Other than the namesake junipers, no trees grow in significant numbers here.[1] Other vegetation found in the Wilderness include rubber rabbitbrush, green rabbitbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, white sand-verbena, Franklin sandwort, sicklepod milkvetch, turpentine cymopterus, hymenopappus, prickly pear cactus, sand-dune penstemon, lanceleaf breadroot, sand dock, Carey balsamroot, wild-hyacinth, larkspur, wild flax, snow buckwheat, desert parsley Indian-potato, and silverleaf phacelia.[2]

Juniper Dunes as viewed from the east with grasslands in the foreground and Rattlesnake Mountain in the hazy distance behind.

Access

Currently no legal access to Juniper Dunes Wilderness exists, as the entire surrounding land is privately owned. An agreement in early 2007 with landowners allows visitors, with permission, to travel on one of several old jeep trails that end near the Wilderness boundary.[1]

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References
  1. "Juniper Dunes Wilderness". Archived from the original on 2003-11-11. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  2. Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area, Franklin County, Washington - Botanical Electronic News


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