Ash Meadows National wildlife Refuge

You hear about oasis in the desert - but it doesn't seem like a real thing. How can ponds and rivers appear out no where in a vast landscape of desert dry. We learned they do exist and Ash Meadows is the last one in the entire Mojave Desert. It is an absolutely fascinating place. As we drove up we commented that likely this was going to be another area that the water level is low and not typical. That was not the case. This area is entirely fed from underground springs. The water level seldom varies more than an inch or two. Winter is not a particularly active season for the plants and animals but still was fun for us. The color of the water was amazing - Caribean Blue and so clear. There are 26 species of flora and fauna that ONLY live in this area - including the bright blue pupfish. The movie at the visitor center was terrific - explaining about the area and it's recovery from man's destructive efforts to pump and redirect the water.

We did walk up to Devil's hole. After hearing that it has been explored to over 500' but the bottom has never been reached PLUS earthquakes in other parts of the world (Japan, Chili and Indonesia) cause the water to splash within 10minutes of the event! We were very curious. It also is the ONLY known location for Devil's Hole Pupfish. We were a bit underwhelmed with what you can actually see... ah well ... still cool. Point of Rocks is easier to look down and see the bright blue pupfish so that was really fun.