| Eldorado Mountains | |
| Other Name: | El Dorado Mountains |
| Photo Size: | 320px |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Nevada |
| District: | Clark County |
| Topo Map: | Boulder City SE |
| Topo Maker: | USGS |
| Range Coordinates: | 35.8075°N -114.7828°W |
| Highest: | Ireteba Peak[1] |
| Highest Location: | Eldorado Mountains |
| Elevation Ft: | 5060 |
| Map: | USA Nevada |
The Eldorado Mountains, also called the El Dorado Mountains, are a north-south trending mountain range in southeast Nevada bordering west of the south-flowing Colorado River; the endorheic Eldorado Valley borders the range to the west, and the range is also on the western border of the Colorado River's Black Canyon of the Colorado, and El Dorado Canyon on the river. The range is 50miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada; and the Eldorado Mountains connect with the Highland and Newberry mountains.[2]
The name El Dorado is taken from the name of a legendary gold mine, and the ghost town-mining location of Nelson in Nelson Canyon, transects the central portion of the range. The Nelson Overlook is a viewing point over the Colorado River's El Dorado Canyon.
The mountain range contains the Eldorado Wilderness of . Established in 2004, the area is jointly managed by the NPS and the BLM. The NPS manages the eastern section within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the BLM manages the western section.[3]
This desert wilderness is a rugged maze of hills, peaks, and winding canyons. The Eldorado Range is volcanic rock with basalt flows on a base of metamorphic rock. A bajada extends northwest of the mountains. Creosote bush, scrub oak, clump grass, and various cacti cover the mountains and foothills. This supports a significant population of bighorn sheep in the higher elevations. Abandoned mine sites are scattered among the region. Water is scarce, besides the Colorado River, and summer temperatures can reach 120 °F (48 °C).[4]
To the south, Ireteba Peaks Wilderness of is composed of the Ireteba Ridge at 5013feet,[5] that overlooks to the east, the northern portions of Lake Mohave and the El Dorado Canyon. The high point of the Eldorado Mountains is Ireteba Peak at 5060feet, which is named for the Mohave Indian guide and tribal leader Irataba.
Some communities associated with the range, are in the south, Searchlight on US 95 and Cottonwood Cove, on the river. Nelson is in the center of the range, and the nearest community north is Boulder City.