THE BEST OF ASH MEADOWS
Nestled in the arid beauty of the Mojave Desert, you’ll find Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge. This oasis is home to a diverse group of flora and fauna, offering a unique glimpse into the delicate balance of life in a seemingly harsh environment. This park is especially known for being the home of a few different rare and endangered species of pupfish, which you can try and spot from different boardwalks in the park. It is also known for birding due to the large variety of birds which live in the park.
How To Get TO ASH MEADOWS
Ash Meadows is an easy 2-hour drive from Las Vegas and very close to the entrance to Death Valley National Park. We recommend you combine Ash Meadows with Death Valley and stop either when heading to or leaving Death Valley National Park. To plan your visit to Death Valley National Park, check out our handy guide here!
How Much Time Do You Need Here
The total time you can expect to spend at this park is 2-3 hours.
HIKES + SITES AT ASH MEADOWS
Visitor Center
Your first stop should be the visitor center. We were impressed with the building. It appeared extremely new and housed some fun, interactive, and informative exhibits. These exhibits detail the history of the area, the wildlife, and how this land was saved from development. We recommend you spend a little time checking out these exhibits. Similar to National Parks, park employees working here can help you plan out your day and answer any questions. The best part – it has very clean bathrooms.
Crystal Marsh Loop
Length: .9 miles
Time: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: 13 feet
Your first walk will be the Crystal Marsh Loop which starts right behind the Visitor Center. It is a nice boardwalk trail across the landscape and goes through some pupfish habitats. You will get to see some pupfish and possibly other wildlife too. The pupfish are pretty small and move quickly – they actually get their name from puppies since they’re such playful fish. There are various signs along the trail detailing some of the other wildlife, birds, and plants at the park.
Devil’s Hole Overlook
Head over to the Devil’s Hole Overlook. Walk a few minutes from the small parking lot and you will come across a big fenced-in area. Here you can look down and see the opening to a large cave system that is filled with water. This is where the extremely rare and endangered Devil’s Hole pupfish live. You can only see the pupfish with binoculars, so if you have some make sure to bring them.
Point of Rock Springs
Length: .6 miles
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: 22feet
Drive a few minutes over to the Point of Rock Springs trail. We found this easy and short trail to be even better than Crystal Springs and probably the best in the park. The walk brings you very close to multiple pools and waterways that are filled with pupfish. You can clearly see them here without any binoculars. You can get a nice view of the surrounding area too.
Longstreet Boardwalk
Longstreet Spring and Cabin is a short walk from the parking area, and approximately 0.2 miles round-trip. The boardwalk leads to an old stone cabin built by famed gunslinger Jack Longstreet.
Fairbanks Spring
Still haven’t got your fill of pupfish? This is another spring pool you can access to see even more pupfish. There’s a good chance you’ll have this area to yourself since it is on the edge of the reserve and the walkway isn’t as nice as some of the other, newer boardwalks.
NOT DONE TRAVELING?
Check out our guides of nearby areas:
Best of Las Vegas – Off the Strip
Best of Las Vegas – On the Strip
Death Valley National Park