The 28,955 acre North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness is in the northwestern section of the range and includes the broad western end of Sandy Valley.

Rolling brown foothills, a few steeper mountains, and medium-sized buttes comprise the reddish-brown geologic features in the wilderness.

[3] Vegetation of this area is characteristic of the mid-elevations of the eastern Mojave Desert.

Wildlife is also typical for the Mojave Desert; including coyote, black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail, roadrunners, rattlesnakes and several species of lizards.

The southern tip of the wilderness provides critical habitat for the desert tortoise.