The water in the bottom of this pit is the entire
geographic range of the Devils Hole pupfish (view north from the
catwalk). The things in the water are scientific instruments.
|
Description
Devils Hole is a deep hole in the ground on the side of a dry, rocky
hill sparsely vegetated with creosote bush and bursage. The spring in
the bottom of the hole has no outflow stream. Desert birds come in for
water, and the pool serves as the only habitat for the Devils Hole
Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis).
Devils Hole, itself, is closed to the public, but there is a catwalk
outside the fence where you can walk out and look down into the pit.
With binoculars or a spotting scope, you can see the pupfish.
Location
Devils Hole is located on the Ash Meadows National Wildlife, about 2
hours northwest of Las Vegas and about 3.5 road-miles from the Refuge
Office.
From Las Vegas, drive out to Ash
Meadows
National Wildlife. From the Refuge Office (Table 1, Site
691),
drive out to the main refuge road. Turn right onto the main road and
drive east. Follow the main road as it curves to the south and then
back to the east. At a T-intersection about 2.3 miles out (with
mailboxes and signs), continue straight and follow the road for another
1.3 miles as it curves back to the north. When the road starts up into
a little valley, watch for a chain-link fence capped with razor-wire on
a hillside to the left (west) of the road.
Park along the main road (Site 694) and walk up the old access road
(about 0.2 miles) to the old parking area adjacent to the fence (Site
695). The fence entirely encircles Devils Hole, but there is a catwalk
and viewing area on the south side of the fenced area.
Hours
The refuge is day-use only: open sunrise to sunset.
Fees
None.
Specialties
Devils Hole is not the best place to bird, but you
can
find
hard-core desert species here. The thing to see here is the Devils Hole
pupfish. This Pleistocene relict lives only in this little hole in the
ground and nowhere else on earth. This fish has the smallest geographic
range of any vertebrate. |
