File:Amargosa Wild and Scenic River, California.jpg

English: Often called the "Crown Jewel of the Mojave Desert," the Amargosa is the only free-flowing river in the Death Valley region of the Mojave, providing a rare and lush riparian area in the desert.

The narrow Amargosa Canyon is known for its dense greenery and the shallow Amargosa River, complete with "hanging gardens" and a small waterfall. The river flows year-round dropping south from Nevada and finally flowing into Death Valley National Park. The precious water from this desert river has allowed people to live here, on and off, for the past 8,000 years. Nature offers a variety of scenic landscapes here. Important natural systems include the river, marshes, mud hills, riparian area and salt-encrusted mud flats. Designated segments of the Amargosa River flow past unusual desert wetlands and hot spring creeks; ancient lakebeds; mesas; mudflats; an abandoned railroad and human ruins of all kinds; colorful rock formations and precipitous cliffs; expansive meadows; and even waterfalls. The lush riparian and wetland plant communities present along these segments contrast dramatically with the surrounding stark, desert landscape.

As one of the few surface water, riparian vegetation and high canyon density locales in the region, the three protected segments of the Amargosa offer visitors unusual river and canyon-based opportunities. Among these are hiking, exploration, bird watching, photography and equestrian use, all in rugged and physically challenging terrain. The lower segment provides a unique desert experience, because it includes multiple water crossings and scenic views.