Desert National Wildlife Refuge

The Bighorn Loop takes you out into the open desert. As the eastern side of the trail leads away from the Corn Creek spring head, it follows a line of mesquite trees partially covered wish mistletoe grown from seeds deposited by phainopepla.

Past the trees, the view opens to the foothills of the Sheep Range, named for the bighorn sheep that call the range home. During the colder months, snow is visible on the range's higher peaks. The Sheep Range also beautifully displays Nevada's geologic past in its multicolored layers. If you stop at the overlook, you can learn about this geologic history.

In the north end of the trail, you will be surrounded by saltbush and creosote with the occasional hedgehog or beavertail cactus.

The western side of the trail passes by a fence from the days when refuge biologists studied bighorn sheep in an enclosure at Corn Creek. The Bighorn Loop connects with the Coyote Loop near the picnic area.

The single track of the Birdsong Loop is known for its quietness and solitude. The trail begins among mesquite trees laden with mistletoe.

As you walk the eastern side of the trail, you are treated with views of both the Sheep Range and the Spring Mountains. Tall, grassy phragmites (frag-MY-tees) rustle in the wind throughout the steep washes bordering the trail.

As you descend upon the western half of the trail, the vista opens up into a saltbush and creosote landscape. To your right you will see the rolling dunes and mesquite bosques that follow the Corn Creek fault - evidence of water's proximity to the surface. You may even notice sand beginning to pile around the plants in the playa.

At the maintenance yard, the trail follows the service road back to the Coyote Loop Trail.

As you walk west from the Jackrabbit Loop, you will follow the edge of the pond to a bench overlooking the water. Here, you can watch for water birds stopping to rest as they migrate along the Pacific flyway.

As you continue, the trail follows the stream after it exits the pond. It passes the orchard, originally planted by the Richardson family, who ranched at Corn Creek from 1916 to 1936. Using Corn Creek for irrigation, they grew fruit and nut trees including apple, peach, mulberry, pomegranate, almond, and pecan. These trees make this trail a favorite stop for migratory birds.

Follow the trail to the refugium, an aquarium-like building housing the endangered Pahrump poolfish. A spur from the trail leads up to a historic railroad tie cabin, which was built in the 1920s by the Richardson family. While some restoration has been done to preserve the cabin, the railroad ties are largely original and bear the scars of railroad spikes.

This is a rugged, backcountry route. It is NOT an engineered, maintained trail. Route may lack a defined trailhead. Path of travel may not be clear and may use washes, old mining routes, and animal trails. Hikers are expected to carry a map and have cross-country route finding abilities. Hiking in the summer is not advised. All hikers should carry 2-3 liters of water per person.

The entirety of this trail follows a canyon wash. Expect loose gravel & unstable footing. The trail begins along Deadman Wash, an area that once served as an old two-track roadbed. Shade is sparse, but in the spring expect to be treated with multiple desert blooms from plants such as desert paintbrush, Apache plume, and Mormon tea. This is a good area to spot birds such as rock wrens and black-throated sparrows. Keep an eye out for small caves and crevices to explore as you ascend.

At times the route becomes confusing between the wash and old roadbed. The canyon is narrow and it is impossible to get lost, so hike whichever you find easiest or most enjoyable. As the vegetation changes to the pinyon-juniper woodland, the trail footing becomes a bit more stable. Keep an eye out for western tanagers, pinon jays, and hermit thrushes.

At about 3.7 miles, the first ponderosa pines appear. They remain the dominant vegetation all the way to the cabin, at mile 5.6. A few groves of isolated quaking aspens are present, as are some white fir trees. From here, you can enjoy some time exploring the surrounding hills, eat a picnic lunch at one of the picnic tables, or prepare for the steep, two-mile ascent to Hayford Peak, the highest peak in the Sheep Mountains. To exit, simply follow your route back down the canyon.

For a detailed preview of this hike, please visit https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-03/discover-hidden-forest-cabin

As you begin the trail, look to the right to see Gass Peak just south of the foothills of the Sheep Range.

After walking on the bridge and under the shade of the trees and arrow weed, turn right. A few steps down the path, you can see the pool where the water of Corn Creek rises to the surface from the aquifer below. Gravity pulls water into the channel that bubbles beneath the bridge, beginning its short journey above ground. You may hear dragonflies buzzing around, looking for smaller insects to eat.

Turning left, your walk will take you past the pond that is one of the few places to find the endangered Pahrump poolfish. As you circle back to the visitor center, look for pollinators taking advantage of the thistle plants that grow along the path.

This short trail follows a wash that is a reminder of ferocious flash floods that occur during the summer months. The path leads to a limestone mortar that the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) used to grind grains and mesquite pods. Just past the end of the spur, a Mojave yucca grows among the saltbush.

Corn Creek has long served as a home for the Nuwuvi. Radiocarbon dating of a hearth places their earliest habitation to 8,200 years ago. As early as 3,200 years ago, they were using earth ovens (roasting pits) to cook meats and desert succulents. Around 1,200 years ago, the Nuwuvi later planted crops such as maize and squash In addition to harvesting mesquite.

The Nuwuvi continued to use the area regularly until the early 1900s and continue to maintain their connections to Corn Creek today.

As a reminder - please do not sit or stand on the mortar. It is a cultural artifact.