Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Desert Pupfish Pools

This hidden refuge protects 30 spring-fed oases in the Mojave Desert, home to the endangered Devil’s Hole pupfish and other endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. The main Crystal Springs boardwalk takes you over turquoise pools fed by 10,000-year-old groundwater, while Point of Rocks Springs offers a shorter walk to more thermal pools surrounded by ash trees and native grasses.

Access via Highway 373 from Pahrump or Death Valley Junction—the visitor center sits 23 miles northwest of Pahrump on good paved road. Open year-round but blazing hot in summer; best visited October through April when desert wildflowers bloom and temperatures stay reasonable.

Rare desert pupfish in crystal thermal springs