Unit 267, Nevada

Unit 267 occupies the Black Mountains of eastern Clark County, Nevada, situated south of State Route 167 (North Shore Road) and north of Lake Mead from Callville Bay Road on the west, extending east and north to Echo Bay. The unit also includes the Mormon Mesa bench north of Echo Bay, though that area holds few if any bighorn sheep. Elevations range from approximately 1,150 feet at Lake Mead's waterline to around 3,000–3,400 feet in the upper Black Mountains. Topography transitions from rolling desert hills and washes on the western margin to sheer cliff faces and broken granite peaks at Cathedral Peaks — the most rugged core of the unit. The lake's sinuous shoreline (Callville Bay to Echo Bay) defines much of the southern and eastern boundary, creating dramatic shoreline relief.

Unit 267 is almost entirely within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service. NPS contact: (702) 293-8908. Primary road access is via Nevada State Route 167 (North Shore Road), the spine road paralleling the north shore of Lake Mead through Clark County. Callville Bay Road provides access to the western boundary near Callville Bay Marina. Echo Bay Road (off SR-167) leads to the Echo Bay area on the eastern side. Boathouse Cove Road is an additional recommended access point. Boat access via Lake Mead is a viable and popular option for reaching otherwise roadless shoreline terrain, particularly the Cathedral Peaks and Razorback Ridge areas. The Jimbilnan Wilderness (18,879 acres, established by the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002, P.L. 107-282) covers a portion of the unit: all motorized and mechanized equipment — including wheeled game carriers and chainsaws — is prohibited within it. All hunters should contact Lake Mead NPS before entering the unit. Services (gas, food, lodging) are available at Echo Bay and Callville Bay; full services in Henderson, Las Vegas, and Boulder City. Note: The Lower Boulder Basin area (south/southwest of Hamblin Bay/Rotary Cove) is closed to hunting and trapping per Nevada regulations.

Lower elevations (1,150–2,500 ft) are Mojave Desert scrub: creosote bush, white bursage, desert willow, various cacti, and blackbrush. As elevation increases above 2,500 ft, mountain mahogany woodlands become the dominant cover, providing key browse for both mule deer and bighorn sheep. Joshua trees and yucca occur in transitional zones. Mormon Mesa supports creosote-bursage scrub and mixed Mojave shrub plant communities. Riparian corridors along Lake Mead coves and washes host desert willow and tamarisk. The habitat generally lacks perennial streams; wildlife depends on natural tinajas, wildlife guzzlers, and lake water.

Desert bighorn sheep (Nelson/Desert subspecies, Ovis canadensis nelsoni) are the unit's signature big game species, concentrated on and near Cathedral Peaks, Pinto Ridge, Razorback Ridge, and Hamblin Mountain in the Black Mountains south of Echo Bay. Sheep share a connected population with adjacent Unit 268 (Muddy Mountains), moving freely between the two ranges. The 2024 ram hunt summary recorded 7 resident harvests with B&C scores ranging from 120 1/8 to 163 2/8; a management ram hunt (for rams with one horn shorter than half the other) is also offered for units 267/268 combined (Jan 5–Feb 20, 4 tags total). Mule deer inhabit the unit's lower desert washes and the mid-elevation mahogany zone; numbers are modest compared to higher-elevation Nevada units. Mountain lion are present; Nevada issues over-the-counter tags managed statewide. Gambel's quail occupy lower desert scrub and canyon washes. Chukar occur on rocky talus slopes and cliff bands. The unit is within an Area of Critical Environmental Concern for Mojave Desert tortoise.