Unit 253, Nevada

The unit covers Bare Mountain, a compact range roughly 9 miles long trending northwest to southeast with a width of approximately 5 miles. Elevation changes are steep, particularly on Bare Mountain itself, ranging from approximately 3,300 feet on valley floors to 6,273 feet at Bare Mountain Peak (Wildcat Peak, in the southeast section, reaches 5,052 feet). Beyond the mountain core, terrain transitions to rolling hills, washes, and desert flats typical of the Amargosa Desert. The Bullfrog Hills lie to the northwest of Beatty, and Oasis Valley borders the range to the north. The Amargosa River runs near the range's northern end.

The unit is approximately 94.3% public land managed primarily by the BLM Tonopah Field Office (Battle Mountain District). US Route 95 runs through the Amargosa Valley along the southern and western edge of the range and provides the main paved access corridor. The town of Beatty (on US 95 at the northern end of the range) serves as the primary staging point and offers motels, RV parks, fuel, and supplies. Road access is generally good around the perimeter of the unit; most areas can be reached by vehicle, though some portions of Bare Mountain require hiking. The Sterling Gold Mine on the eastern side of Bare Mountain restricts direct vehicle passage through the mine site, though hikers can circumvent it. A significant access restriction exists: portions of the unit border the Nellis Air Force Base / Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), and access south of the NTTR northern and western boundary is prohibited for national security reasons — this closure is strictly enforced. No National Forest land is present in this unit. BLM Tonopah Field Office: 1553 S. Main Street, Tonopah, NV 89049, (775) 482-7800.

Vegetation is dominated by Mojave Desert scrub, with creosote bush prevalent across the lower desert flats and valley floors. Rocky canyon slopes and higher elevations support sparse desert shrub cover. The range was descriptively named for its largely bare, rocky summits, which have minimal vegetative cover. Water is scarce — there are no known springs or natural seeps within the core range, and four artificial BLM water developments exist on Bare Mountain to support wildlife. Feral burro pressure (documented well above BLM's appropriate management level in the Bullfrog Herd Management Area) competes heavily with wildlife for limited forage and water resources.

Desert bighorn sheep (Nelson/desert subspecies) are the principal wildlife feature of Unit 253. Survey data from 2016 recorded a sample of 188 bighorn on Bare Mountain (ratios: 81 rams:100 ewes:28 lambs); a record 2014 survey classified 265 animals. The herd has dealt with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (bacterial pneumonia) exposure causing chronic low lamb survival, and ewe harvests were conducted in 2015–2017 to manage population size in response to severe water limitations. Desert bighorn movements through the Beatty Wash and west Yucca Mountain area maintain connectivity between the Bare Mountain herd and adjacent populations on DOD and DOE lands. Mule deer are present in low numbers throughout the unit; NDOW notes that very few deer are found in units 252, 253, and 254, with the bulk of Management Area 25 deer concentrated in Unit 251 (Kawich Range). The unit also lies within the South genetic population zone for mountain lion. Feral burros from the Bullfrog Herd Management Area (well above AML) are documented competing with bighorn and deer for water and forage.