Overview

Note: Contrary to recent concerns, water is available at the Hidden Forest cabin. The springbox at Wiregrass Spring is dry, but the guzzler adjacent to the springbox has water for wildlife, and water from the spring is piped to the cabin.

John says that he was at the cabin November 25th, and the pipe was flowing fast enough to fill a gallon jug in 4 minutes. The trail is in good shape, but the roads are pretty rough. The Alamo and Hidden Forest roads had multiple places where he had to slow to a crawl to get around ditches and large rocks.

Casey reports that as of September 12, 2012, the springbox still dry, but the cabin was in good shape -- the roof didn't leak despite recent storms.

Hikers: Please send updates about flow rates.

This moderately strenuous hike follows an old road up a canyon into the mountains to a hidden ponderosa pine forest. The Hidden Forest starts at the first ponderosa pines (3.7 miles out), and continues to the crest of the mountains. The road ends at an old game warden cabin (5.6 miles out). This is a good place to camp, sit beneath the pines, enjoy to coolness, and listen to the wind and the birds. Water is available at the cabin, so this is a good backpacking destination, but it is a popular place and can can be crowded on weekends.

For general information on camping, regulations, other issues, and the natural history of the Wildlife Refuge, see the Desert National Wildlife Range -- Area Overview page.

Link to map or elevation profile.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert... this is a pretty safe hike. Hiking in loose gravel is tiring, more tiring than might be expected, so don't overestimate the speed at which you will be able to hike up the canyon. Depending on recent weather conditions, a 2WD, high-clearance vehicle should make it to the trailhead, but call the refuge manager if you have questions.

Large numbers of birds use the water at the cabin, so while camping, stay far enough away from the water to let the birds drink.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this hike is long, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

This is a wildlife refuge, so pay extra attention to respecting the land. Please, don't bother the bighorn sheep. They have a hard enough time making a living in these desert lands; they don't need extra stress from people camping or sitting around the spring.

Historically, the cabin area has a bit trashed, so be sure to pack out everything you packed in, plus carry some extra trash out. Be sure to dispose of human waste properly. There is a toilet due south of the cabin behind a big ponderosa pine (out of date).

Getting to the Trailhead

NOTE: September 2012: Recent storms have damaged the road and a 4WD is advised.

This hike is located on the Desert National Wildlife Range, about 2 hours north of town.

From town, drive out to the Desert National Wildlife Range. From Corn Creek Field Station (Table 1, Site 106), continue east to a T-intersection a few yards beyond the parking area (Site 731). Turn left onto Alamo Road and drive north for 14.5 miles to Hidden Forest Road (Site 882).

Turn right onto Hidden Forest Road and drive east for 3.8 miles to a parking area at the end of the road (Site 445). There are no turns, and the road ends against the first set of hills. Under normal conditions, these are good, well-graded roads. Park here; this is the trailhead.

When passing Corn Creek Field Station, be sure to stop and sign the visitor register. Use a false name if you worry about the government tracking your movements, but they need all the visitor-use statistics they can get to argue for more funding.

The Hike

The trailhead is on a narrow bench between a steep rocky hillside and a deep, broad wash. The vegetation at the trailhead is typical of the dry desert region along the access road, which as stunted creosote bush, white bursage, some small Joshua trees, and a few other scattered shrubs. Not only is this a dry desert area, but it is in the rain shadow of the Spring Mountains, so it gets even less rain than other areas in southern Nevada. Some of the most stunted plants in southern Nevada grow along the western flank of the Sheep Range.

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), the old road continues past a gate and drops steeply into Deadman Wash. A sign at the trailhead says that Wiregrass Spring is 4 miles out, but the cabin is 5.7 miles out, and the spring is about 0.13 miles past the cabin.

Shortly, the wash narrows abruptly, and the old road passes another gate at the narrowest point. In the wash, where water from the mountains is channeled into a narrow area, the vegetation is relatively lush compared to the trailhead, and there are lots of large, closely spaced shrubs including desert almond, apache plume, saltbush, Mormon tea, rabbitbrush, lots of little shrubs, and some spring flowers, but there is little shade. Through here, watch for Rock Wrens and Black-throated Sparrows., species typical of the lower-elevation desert mountains.

Above the second gate, the wash opens up to several hundred yards wide, and the old road runs essentially straight up the canyon. Along this part, the grade seems fairly steep and the old road is covered with loose gravel, making the hike seem hot (little shade), long, and steep. About 1.3 miles out, the trail enters Deadman Canyon (Wpt. 2) and the nature of the environment changes to a pinyon-juniper forest. At this point, the hike seems to get easier and more pleasant (the trail is just as steep, but it seems easier).

In the canyon, the trail switches between following the old road and following the wash. Sometimes it is hard to tell which is the best route, but the canyon is narrow and there is nowhere to get lost, so it doesn't really matter.

At 3.7 miles out, hikers round a corner and see the first ponderosa pines (Wpt. 4). Shortly the pinyon pines and junipers fade away, and the entire forest is composed of ponderosa pine with a few white fir scattered about. This is where it starts really feeling like a pine forest; the trail seems even easier, and the air feels cooler.

For the remaining two miles, the trail wanders up the canyon, which alternates from narrow to wide and back again. The rocky, tree-covered hillsides rise high above the canyon, and in a few place, tall limestone cliffs cap the canyon rim. The understory thins out higher up, giving the typical open, park-like feeling of mature ponderosa forests. In the forest, listen for Hermit Thrush, Western Tanager, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet songs, and the chatter of chipmunks and rock squirrels. Except for the rock squirrel, all of these are species of the higher-elevation desert mountains.

After wandering through the piney woods for a few miles, the canyon and the old road bend to the northeast (left), pass an old corral on the west (left) side of the canyon, and arrive at the old game warden cabin (Wpt. 5).

Getting to the cabin is easy because the old road runs right up to it, but if you want to hike to Hayford or Sheep peaks, it is a bit confusing at first. The cabin is located in the mouth of a side canyon that comes in from the north; it is not in Deadman Canyon, proper. The cabin is on the east (right) side of the side canyon, right at the confluence with Deadman Canyon, which continues on to the east (farther right). Standing on the porch of the cabin and look out, Deadman Canyon is to to left (south) and an unnamed canyon runs up to the right (north). This distinction is only important for hiking farther up the canyon.

Wiregrass Spring is about 0.13 miles beyond the cabin. From the porch of the cabin, look north and up the side canyon (standing on the porch, facing out, look right) and you will see a use-trail running across an open area and steeply up a hill into the trees. Follow the trail for 5-8 minutes to the spring, which is a hole in the ground covered by boards. In some years, a trickle of water runs out and across a flat area with some wiregrass (genus Juncus). The water runs over an edge below the spring, providing a place where birds come in to drink and bathe. There is also a sheep drinker below the spring where larger animals can get water; be sure to keep the springbox covered to keep large animals out.

The old cabin area is a nice place to camp, sit in the shade, rest, relax, listen to the birds, and contemplate life during a simpler time when people lived in the log cabin and roamed these mountains guarding against poachers. While you are here, however, take a few minutes to clean up the area. The cabin and its contents are in pretty good shape, but use over the years sometimes produces a lot of trash.

A latrine is located across Deadman Wash, to the south, from the cabin. It is behind a big tree, so walk over and look around for it. It is a wooden box with a seat and a hole; there are no walls.

To get back to the trailhead, follow the canyon back down, as there are no other easy routes available.