Birding Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Birding Around Las Vegas,
Outside the Las Vegas Valley - Northeast
Moapa National Wildlife Refuge (view southeast).
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Description
Moapa Valley is a broad, flat valley set in dry Mojave Desert
between two limestone mountains ranges. Water emerges from several
springs, including hot springs, in the upper end of the valley to
create a fairly large riparian and oasis area. Water from the springs
converges down the valley to form a fairly large stream. The valley has
been settled for years, and much of it is now farmland or pasture; much
of the rest is thickets of palm trees and mesquite.
The Wildlife Refuge area was an old resort with hot springs,
pools, buildings, palm trees, and brushy thickets. This area is now
closed to the public, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service is working
to restore the oasis. I'm not sure when they expect to reopen the area.
A road splits the refuge, and as you drive in from the south, the part
to your left (southwest) is fenced off and posted with no trespassing
signs. The other side of the road also is fenced.
Bird the refuge area by walking the road, but be careful with
the traffic. The road is posted 25 mph, but don't bet your life that
people drive the speed limit. The shoulders are narrow, so pay attention
to the traffic. Traffic generally is light, so you can bird the rest of the valley by driving slowly
and stopping to investigate interesting spots from the road. |
Birding along the road. There is no shoulder, so watch for cars (view east).
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Location
The Moapa National Wildlife Refuge is located northwest of
Moapa, about 1.25 hours from Las Vegas.
To get there from Las Vegas, drive north on Highway I-15 to Glendale
(Table 1, Site 879). Exit the Interstate and drive northwest on Highway
168 for 7.0 miles to Warm Springs Road (Site 898). Turn left
(southwest), and drive for about 2 more miles. When you see the chain
link fence capped with barbed wire on both sides of the road, you are there (Site 449). Park on the edge of the road at
either end of the fence. For some variety, when you leave, continue
driving northwest on Warm Spring Road until it intersects Highway 168
again. Turn left (northwest) and drive 14 miles to Highway 93. Turn
left (south) and head back to Interstate-15. These roads traverse some
beautiful desert landscapes. The land south of Highway 168 and east of
Highway 93 is the Arrow
Canyon Wilderness Area. |
Refuge personnel have been removing some of the palm trees on the south
side of the road as they work to restore the oasis (view south).
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Hours
Always open (well, sort of). It probably should be considered day-use only.
Fees
None.
Specialties
The area is good for desert species such as Phainopepla,
Abert's Towhee, Verdin, Black Phoebe, Gambel's Quail, and Lucy's
Warbler, and migrants such as Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Hooded
Oriole, sparrows, and warblers. Watch for the endemic fish too. |
Table 1.
GPS Coordinates for Highway Locations (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S).
| Site # |
Location |
Latitude (°N) |
Longitude (°W) |
UTM Easting |
UTM Northing |
Elevation (feet) |
Verified |
| 449 |
Moapa NWR |
36.7117 |
114.7135 |
704229 |
4065127 |
1,784 |
Yes |
| 879 |
I-15 at Hwy168 (Glendale) |
36.6606 |
114.5734 |
716889 |
4059763 |
1,542 |
Yes |
| 898 |
Hwy 168 at Warm Springs Rd (south end) |
36.7134 |
114.6795 |
707265 |
4065384 |
1,716 |
Yes |
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