Unit 264 Unit 264
Sacred granite of Spirit Mountain — a premier once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn range
Far Southern Nevada — Clark County (Newberry Mountains / Avi Kwa Ame) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
415
sq mi
Public land
96%
approx.
Elevation
600–5,639
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 264 covers the Newberry Mountains at the far southern tip of Nevada, above Laughlin and the Colorado River near Searchlight and Cal-Nev-Ari. Its centerpiece is Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain), a sacred peak of granite boulders and steep canyons now protected within Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. This is a coveted, effectively once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep unit; a desert mule deer resource is present but extremely marginal, with negligible recent harvest.
Terrain
Dramatic granite-boulder mountains with steep canyons, spires, and cliff faces rising abruptly from low desert flats and the Colorado River corridor. Classic broken desert-sheep terrain — glass-and-stalk hunting over rugged, technical rock.
Cover: Mojave desert scrub — creosote, brittlebush, cholla and other cactus on the bajadas; Joshua tree woodland on the mid-slopes and desert riparian pockets in canyon bottoms. Sparse cover overall; a glassing-dominant unit.
Landmarks: Avi Kwa Ame / Spirit Mountain (~5,639 ft) · Spirit Mountain Wilderness · Grapevine Canyon (petroglyphs) · Christmas Tree Pass Road · Piute Valley · Colorado River corridor
Access
Almost entirely public BLM land, the bulk of it now within Avi Kwa Ame National Monument (designated 2023). Christmas Tree Pass Road crosses the Newberry Mountains between the Laughlin/US-95 corridor and Grapevine Canyon and is the main cross-unit route; numerous spurs and washes provide side access. The Spirit Mountain Wilderness core is non-motorized. Some canyons are culturally sensitive — tread respectfully.
Managers: BLM (Avi Kwa Ame National Monument), BLM
Access points: Christmas Tree Pass Road · Grapevine Canyon trailhead · US-95 near Cal-Nev-Ari / Searchlight · SR 163 toward Laughlin
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
abundant trophyA healthy, well-established desert bighorn herd on the steep granite of the Newberry Mountains and part of a broader monument-wide migratory corridor. A prized, essentially once-in-a-lifetime ram tag with recent harvest success at 100%.
- →Glass the granite cliff-bands, spires, and canyon rims of Spirit Mountain at first and last light
- →Work the roughest, most broken rock where mature rams bed and escape
- →Pattern water in warm conditions — canyon seeps and guzzlers pull sheep in the heat
- →Use Christmas Tree Pass Road to stage, then hunt on foot deep into the wilderness canyons
- →Plan technical, careful stalks over boulder fields and steep granite
Mule Deer
limited lowOnly a sparse, transient desert mule deer presence exists in the higher and better-watered pockets. Densities are very low and recent harvest is essentially nil — not a target species here.
- →If pursued at all, glass the highest, wettest canyon heads and shaded slopes at dawn
- →Expect long odds — this is marginal desert deer habitat
- →Treat any deer encounter as incidental to a sheep-focused hunt
Pro tips
- →This is a sheep unit — the Newberry granite and Spirit Mountain are the whole draw
- →Rams live on the steepest, roughest granite; glass cliffs, spires, and rims rather than open ground
- →Christmas Tree Pass Road is your spine for staging into the range
- →Hunt water sources hard in warm weather — seeps and guzzlers concentrate animals
- →Grapevine Canyon and Spirit Mountain are culturally sacred to Yuman and Southern Paiute peoples — hunt respectfully and pack out everything
- →Get into the wilderness core on foot to reach undisturbed rams
Watch out for
- !Avi Kwa Ame National Monument designation adds land-use rules — verify current motorized and camping restrictions
- !Spirit Mountain Wilderness is non-motorized; know the boundary
- !Culturally and archaeologically sensitive sites (petroglyphs) — do not disturb
- !Extreme low-desert heat and scarce natural water early in the season
- !Technical granite-boulder terrain with real fall and exposure hazards on stalks
Logistics
Laughlin offers full services, lodging, fuel, and casinos, with additional fuel and basics at Searchlight and Cal-Nev-Ari on US-95 and across the river in Bullhead City, AZ. Camp on BLM land within the monument or base out of Laughlin and day-hunt. Cell service is decent near the river and highways but fades in the deep canyons. Access via US-95, SR 163, and Christmas Tree Pass Road.
Nearest towns: Laughlin, Searchlight, Cal-Nev-Ari, Bullhead City, AZ
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Hunt Information Sheets · BLM Avi Kwa Ame National Monument · Avi Kwa Ame National Monument — overview & wildlife
FAQ
- How big is Unit 264 in Nevada?
- Unit 264 (Unit 264) covers about 415 square miles, ranging from roughly 600 to 5,639 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 264?
- Approximately 96% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Avi Kwa Ame National Monument), BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 264?
- Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 264 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.