Overview

The Coyote Loop Trail is a 0.6-mile ADA compliant trail that loops through the Corn Creek area. Corn Creek has been a birdwatching destination for decades, and now the Coyote Trail opens a bit of this area to persons in wheelchairs or with other walking issues, plus families with children in strollers. The trail has interpretive signs describing the ecology and human history of the area.

Corn Creek is a tiny spot of green in a vast sea of desert-dry Mojave Desert Scrub. Springs provide water for trees, lush vegetation, desert wildlife, lots of birds (especially during migration), and even humans over the last several thousands of years. The ancients left their marks on the land, but most evidence of human use derives from pioneer and more recent times.

Link to Trail Map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a fairly safe hike if hikers stay on the trails as requested by refuge management.

The Coyote Loop Trail is fairly level, although the first half generally is downhill, and the second half generally is uphill. The surfacing is smooth and looks like frozen mud, making one feel unsure about the footing on cold winter mornings. There are several benches where people can stop and rest or just relax and listen to the birds.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Even though this trail is short, bring what you need of the 10 Essentials. Also, this is a wildlife refuge, so pay extra attention to respecting the land and wildlife.

Getting to the Trailhead

The Coyote Trail is located northwest of Las Vegas on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge behind the Corn Creek Visitor Center. This is about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Las Vegas.

The Hike

From the Visitor Center, hikers can walk into the Visitor Center and out the back of the building, or they can walk around outside the Visitor Center (through the doorway leading to a covered patio area with rest rooms and drinking water) to the northeast (far) corner of the building.

A few steps beyond the building, the concrete trail arrives at a trail junction with an information kiosk. Here, the Coyote trail angles left and runs northwest to the Cement Pond. From the bridge over the Corn Creek, hikers can look out over the water hoping to see ducks, dragonflies, and perhaps a few thirsty birds or even a Great Blue Heron.

Just over the bridge, the trail reaches a signed trail junction. The Coyote Trail turns left (northwest), while the Jackrabbit Trail turns right (east) and loops back to the Visitor Center.

Continuing to the left, the Coyote Trail wraps around the east and north sides of the Cement Pond, passing a viewing area with sunny benches overlooking the water.

Just beyond the Cement Pond, the Coyote Trail reaches another signed trail junction. Notice the bronze coyote in the bushes on the right! At this point, the Coyote Trail forks and begins to make a loop. My habit is to continue straight looking for birds along Corn Creek (the flowing stream), but it is a loop, so hikers can walk in either direction.

Continuing straight, the trail winds down along Corn Creek. The trail starts on the north side, then crosses a bridge to the south side of the stream.

Beyond the bridge, the trail enters the old orchard where trees planted by the original homesteaders still produce some fruit. The old trees aren't in very good shape, but look for fig, pomegranate, apple, and other fruit trees. Fruit trees have recently been planted in the historic orchard to better replicate what the early homesteaders might have harvested. Notice that the largest pecan tree in Nevada sits adjacent to the trail. Here, along Corn Creek with shrub thickets to the north and fruit trees to the south, is a good place to watch birds.

Continuing along the stream, the trail crosses a bridge to the north side of the stream and arrives at a bench. Sit a spell and listen to the running water and the birds.

The area ahead to the left is the old pasture, but with Corn Creek now flowing out there, cattails, invasive Common Reed, invasive Common Sunflower, willow trees, and other marsh plants are taking over.

Beyond the pasture, the trail climbs an embankment that was part of the dike around historic Ponds 2 and 3, now drained. The old ponds are growing in with cattails, willows, and cottonwood trees. A bridge over a wet area leads to the north side of the old ponds.

Past the old ponds, the trail forks. The Coyote Trail bends right, while the trail to the left follows a service road left to the Birdsong Trail.

Staying on the Coyote Trail, hikers pass historical Pond 2 and shortly arrive at the Pahrump Poolfish Refugium, a big aquarium (two side-by-side tanks) where some of the last Pahrump Poolfish cling to life after their spring in Pahrump dried up when developers took too much groundwater. It is nice that people cared enough to collect the last of the poolfish and keep them alive in this and a few other refuge areas (now including the Cement Pond). Signs describe the fish and their plight.

Just beyond the poolfish refugium, the trail forks again. To the left a few yards lies the historical Railroad-tie Cabin. The cabin has been somewhat restored, and visitors can look through the windows to see the restored interior and what it might have looked like when people lived here. Lucky visitors might find the door unlocked. The Honey Mesquite trees around the cabin provide good habitat for migrant warblers and resident Verdins.

Back on the main trail, the Coyote Trail runs up over a low hill shaded with black locust and Siberian elm trees. To the right picnic tables invite another chance to sit and watch birds. This is where the Virginia Warblers seem to spend their time.

The Coyote Trail continues down the other side of the little hill and passes a T-intersection where the Bighorn Trail comes in from the left. Just ahead, the Coyote Trail arrives at yet another T-intersection where the Coyote Trail closes the loop.

To the left, the Coyote Trail runs back past the Cement Pond to the visitor center, which can be seen ahead in the not-to-far distance.

Returning to the visitor center, be sure to stop in and report any unusual bird and wildlife observations so that other hikes can keep an eye out for your finds.