Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Easy FREE Day Trip from Las Vegas!

Many people assume that all there is to do in Las Vegas revolves around casinos. But, there are actually hundreds of hidden gems all around in the wild. You just have to know where to look!

On your next trip to Las Vegas you can spend a day visiting Ash Meadows National Wildlife refuge! It gives you the perfect excuse to leave the strip and check out the desert landscape! It’s especially cool to do if you live on the east coast, as you might not have seen the desert yet, and will get a lot out of a day trip to this scenic spot.

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a short and easy 2 hour drive from the Las Vegas Strip. To get there from the strip, head south on I-15, exiting at Blue Diamond Drive and continuing West. From here, keep driving until you reach Bell Vista Ave, which is about 50 miles away. Turn left onto Bell Vista and then after about 6.5 miles turn right into Ash Meadows. Follow the signs from there to get to the visitor center, as well as a few cool places to see!

Ash Meadows is home to 26 endemic species, including the world’s most endangered fish, the Pupfish! I first learned about the Pupfish as a freshman in college. These tiny fish have three other relatives in the refuge, all coming from a common ancestor during the last Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. These fish have had an insane amount of research money spent on them to help better understand how evolution works, as well as how these fish can survive in such harsh conditions. The refuge is a quiet oasis and beautiful place to spend the day.

We left Las Vegas around noon on a Sunday, after completing some projects at the house. The drive was peaceful and easy, and when we turned into the Refuge, the weather could not have been better. It was about 10 degrees cooler than in Vegas, and there was even a bit of cloud cover.

After stopping at the entrance to pick up a brochure, we went to the Point of Rocks boardwalk. This wood path takes you on a half mile walk full of nature and history. Walking along, you’ll see lizards and other critters scurrying around in the brush. Small bridges reveal a thin stream, home to the Ash Meadows Speckled Dace, an endangered fish found only here. They’re small, but we were able to see several from the bridges. Walking along, we came to our first spring. The water here has spent thousands of years underground before seeping out at a warm 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This small spring gives a wonderful glimpse of the beautiful pupfish that live nowhere else in the world. They’re an electric bright blue, and dart around the pool, living their best life. Along this walk, there’s a small lookout post, with two stationary binoculars to look at the scenery. Looking to the mountains, you might even spot some desert bighorn sheep. There are picnic tables at the parking area, as well as a vault toilet.

Unfortunately, Devil’s Hole was still closed so we had to make do with the access we had. Death Valley National Park actually controls this area, so they’re subjected to California’s rules, even though the Hole is located entirely within Nevada. If it’s open when you visit, you most definitely need to check it out. The Devil’s Hole Pupfish are considered the most endangered in the world. You can bring a pair of binoculars up there with you, as the fish are so small you might not be able to see them from the walking bridge. Up the hill, you can see the second hole, which leads into this same cavern. Whenever an earthquake happens anywhere in the world, the water here reacts to it with a seiche. The pupfish have adapted to survive this movement.

Crystal reservoir is a lovely place to dip your toes in to cool off. Just be mindful that there is the chance to acquire swimmers itch from here. We didn’t get in the water, but we did enjoy being close to it. Some people here were swimming while others just enjoyed the sand. There are several parking spots in this area so feel free to explore the perimeter until you find a worthwhile place to pull over. There’s ducks, dragonflies, and even some hawks. The tall grass blows in the wind, and you have a really good view of any birds flying overhead.

At the Visitor Center, there are real bathrooms and you can wash your hands in a sink. Just ensure that you don’t drink the tap water. There’s a small gift shop and a few exhibits with information on Nevada wildlife inside. Here, you can get yourself a cool hat or even a few stuffed toys. If you have a National Parks Passport Book, there’s a stamp located at the front desk and a guest book allows people to write their name, as well as any wildlife they may have spotted on their adventure.

Behind the visitor center, there is a boardwalk which will take you on a leisurely walk out to Crystal Spring. This spring is a bright teal color, due to the alkaline nature of the water. The water in this spring came from nearby Spring Mountains, where Mount Charleston is the largest, traveled underground until it seeped out of the Earth, and continues to be the most impressive stop on this list.

Be sure to fill up on gas and snacks before heading to the refuge. We left Vegas with a full tank of gas and had no problems. For two of us, we brought a gallon of water for half the day. Always make sure to discard of any trash in the bins located throughout the refuge. There are several other points of interest located within the refuge which you can explore for hours. Overall, we spent about four hours exploring and it was a nice quick trip.

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