Introduction:
What? :
The Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada is located west of Las Vegas, not so far from Death Valley National Park. Here in the middle of the harsh Mojave Desert you can find crystal-clear spring pools and 26 plants and animal species that are found nowhere else in the world.
With four endangered fish species and eight threatened or endangered plant species this location has the highest concentration of endemic species in the United States.
The natural spring-fed pools of Amargosa Valley create a reach in life habitat in the middle of the desert.
In 1952, the desert pupfish was discovered within Ash Meadows and is the only place on earth where the Devils Hole desert pupfish lives. Initially, because of its importance and uniqueness the Devils Hole area was protected by the National Parks authority and by 1983 the larger area of Ash Meadows was acquired by The Nature Conservancy and declared as a nature reservation.
You should plan for a 2-4 hour visit here, explore a few springs and visit the visitor center and its boardwalks.
Where? :
Ash Meadows location is in southwestern Nevada in Amargosa Valley. Situated about 90 miles west of Las Vegas, not so far from the city of Pahrump, near Death Valley Junction.
From Las Vegas, the shortest way (90 miles) is to drive highway 160 west to Pahrump, from there take left into Bell Vista Rd and drive 18.6 miles until you will see the clear and marked turn to the left into the reservation.
From here a well-maintained gravel road will lead you to the different locations and visitor center.
The reservation is located 48 miles from Death Valley Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
From Death Valley Junction take highway 127 and drive 7.4 miles north, you will see the turn right into the reservation, drive in and get to the visitor center.
Google Map Link
When? :
The park is open year-round.
Winter, Spring and fall are ideal times to visit Ash Meadows as milder temperatures. Winter months are cold (may be about 40-60 f mid-day) but without a lot of rain.
Depending on winter rains spring and fall may offer chances at wildflower blooms.
During the summer months temperatures can be as high as 120 degrees. Plan accordingly.
You can expect summer monsoons and rains, make sure that reservation roads are in driving conditions.
Due note 1:
The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. The visitor center is open 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
Due note 2:
There are no fees or admission required to visit Ash Meadows.
Due note 3:
The nearest gas stations and amenities are 25 miles at Pahrump or at Lathrop well, the Junction of 373 and highway 95, this is 20 miles away.
Due note 4:
The large and new visitor center has interactive learning stations and explanations on the unique ecosystems that this refuge protects.
Due note 5:
Drone use is not allowed on the refuge.
Due note 6:
All roads in the refuge are dirt roads that are good for regular vehicles and motorcycles, slow down and observe all speed limit signs and road conditions.
During periods of heavy rain, the roads can be slick, extremely muddy and possibly closed in some areas. No offroad is allowed.
Due note 7:
You can find restrooms, boardwalk and picnic areas at the visitor center or at Point of Rocks.
bicycles are NOT allowed on boardwalks.
All visitors and pets must remain on the designated boardwalks. A six-foot leash is required for all pets.
Due note 8:
Although walks are not long, drink plenty of water, use sunscreen, wear a hat, and never leave pets or children in the car!
Due note 9:
The refuge is day-use only and no overnight stays,
My thoughts:
When I learned about the Devils Hole desert pupfish and the story behind the effort for its survival I wanted to visit this unique reservation. The vast desert landscape is dotted by several springs that flow into small streams followed by a lot of trees and vegetation. Interesting place to visit and learn about the rare fishes and the effort to save them from extinction.
The visit:
The visit here will focus around exploring the few springs in the area where water rises from underground. The springs create small blue and turquoise color pools and streams throughout the flat desert landscape.
The springs here are not fed by recent years rainwater, the “fossil water” trapped at the last ice age and now they follow cracks in the rock layers popping up into the surface.
You should arrange your visit here depending on from where you are entering the reservation. You can always drive directly up to the large new visitor center and get advice on how to continue from there.
If you are entering from the south (Bell Vista Rd) you can first visit Point of Rocks springs and only then drive to the visitor center, walk to Crystal Spring Boardwalk, from here drive to Devils Hole. You can finish your visit by driving to Crystal Reservoir.
You should plan for 2-4 hour visit here, explore a few springs and visit the visitor center.
Ash Meadows Amargosa Pupfish:
There are probably fewer than 100 Devil's Hole pupfish in nature ponds today, and their numbers have fluctuated wildly ever since the species was discovered in 1930.
The one-inch size fish has silver-gray color transform during the breeding season, the males develop an iridescent silver-blue coloration. Pupfish primarily feed on algae, diatoms, and smaller invertebrates that grow on the substrate. They lay individual eggs on the substrate, where the warm water temperatures facilitate continuous spawning throughout the year.
During the years a lot of conservation efforts were made to protect the fish from extinction, mainly by delicately extracting the laid eggs from the spring and incubating them in small hatching aquariums.
In recent years a new $4.5 million facility was built. It includes a 100,000-gallon tank that mimics the pond in every way and accompanied by research laboratory and fish egg hatching environments.
Visitor Center: and Crystal Spring Boardwalk:
In the visitor center you can find a lot of information about the area, the springs and the story of the pupfish.
Crystal Springs boardwalk is located at the back side of the Visitor Center.
This one-mile flat loop will take you to a beautiful spring pool and follow part of the stream. This spring produces 2,800 gallons of water a minute, is approximately 15 feet deep and the water stays a consistent 87 f. Along the boardwalk there are benches, viewing areas complete with scopes and informational panels.
Devils Hole:
The Devils Hole desert pupfish is the first ever species to be listed as endangered and its extremely sensitive habitat is protected with limited access.
Devils Hole has been governed by Death Valley National Park since 1952.
From the Visitor Center parking lot, turn right (East) and continue for 3.6 miles to Devil's Hole parking. From the dirt road you need to walk to the Devils Hole viewing point.
A short walk will take you to the fenced area, there is an additional cave opening to the right (also blocked by a metal fence).
Devils Hole water filled cavern is home to the smallest and rarest pupfish in the world, the Devils Hole pupfish. The water maintains a temperature of 93 f all year-round.
The National Park has mapped the depth of the water filled caverns to be 500 feet deep with several underground caves although the bottom-end has never been found.
Unfortunately, the viewing platform does not provide an up-close view of the water surface or fish viewing. You can see some equipment that is used by the researchers to monitor water conditions and to extract eggs.
Not a lot to see here except the opening of the caverns but it is exciting to know that this is the smallest habitat environment in the entire word and to think how this fish species survived here for many thousands of years.
Point of Rocks boardwalk:
From the Visitor Center turn right (east) follow the road, turn right (south) on Ash Meadows Rd, turn left (east) onto Point of Rocks Rd. Follow the road till it ends in the parking lot.
The overall distance from the Visitor Center to the parking lot is 4.1 miles.
Point of Rocks boardwalk starts from the parking lot (has restrooms and picnic tables) winds through groves of mesquite trees. After a short walk you will arrive at the small Kings Pool. Here you can watch pupfish frolic in the crystal blue waters. This species of fish has survived in these waters, and this is the only place in the world where they exist.
After the spring pool the boardwalk keeps to the small hill that provides a view on the flat area.
From here you will walk back to the parking lot with an overall 0.5-mile-long walk.
Crystal Reservoir:
The man-made Crystal Reservoir is located not far from the visitor center. From the Visitor Center turn right (east) follow the road, turn right (south) on Ash Meadows Rd, turn right (east) onto E. Crystal Loop and drive to the Crystal Reservoir Parking or drive to the Levee and visit the reservoir from there.
When I visited here (Jan 2025) the reservoir water level was low and I did not see birds.
I took a few pictures of the lake and I drove to my next destination.
After enjoying my 2 hour visit in this park , I drove south and exited the reservation on my way to visit Death Valley National Park.
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