Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a 23,000-acre Wildlife Refuge in Nye County, Nevada.  The refuge protects an extremely rare desert oasis and is home to a number of endemic species.  It was established in 1984 and the name comes from the Ash trees that were once abundant in the area.  Today, there are several short trails to see the springs and oasis and rare pupfish that live nowhere else in the world.

Contact Information:

8757 Spring Meadows Road S

Amargosa Valley, NV 89020

Phone: (775) 372-5435

Map:

Trails:

Crystal Springs Boardwalk:

Crystal Springs Boardwalk starts from behind the Visitor Center and makes a short loop, just under a mile out to the Crystal Springs Pool and along the creek.

Point of Rocks Boardwalk:

Point of Rocks Boardwalk is a 1/2-mile trail that leads past Kings Pool with nice views of the surrounding desert.

Points of Interest:

Crystal Springs:

Crystal Springs is a turquoise-blue spring-fed pool located near the Visitor Center.  The spring produces 2800 gallons of water per minute.

Wildlife:

Velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina) is the refuge's namesake.

Some type of cactus.

Amargosa pupfish (Cyprindodon nevadensis) is an endemic species of fish that only lives in the springs in this area.

Here's a video of the pupfish in Kings Pool.

Blog Entries:

13-Jan-2023: Ash Meadows

External Links:

US Fish & Wildlife Service website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ash-meadows