Refuge has something for all

The wind ripples the water on one of three spring-fed ponds found at Corn Creek Field Station at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Deborah Wall/Special to View Advertisement

Corn Creek Field Station, located in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, is a special treat for visitors who like to taste a smorgasbord of outdoor pleasures, or family groups who must accommodate the varying appetites of different ages and personalities.

Within a 1-mile hike there are tree-lined trails, spring-fed ponds and a perennial stream. You also can visit a rare fish in its refugium, see a historic and unusual cabin and glimpse some of the many birds that love the lush riparian habitat.

The refuge, covering roughly 1.5 million acres, was established in 1936 for the protection, enhancement and maintenance of desert bighorn sheep. The Corn Creek Spring section was added in 1939.

The main trail is usually done as a loop and runs over fairly flat terrain, although it is unpaved. Each bend brings some new point of interest. There is no right or wrong direction to hike at Corn Creek, but keep in mind as you travel along, there will be many spur trails off the three-quarter-mile main route. Most of these don't go anywhere in particular, so it would be hard to get lost. They are mostly used by birders looking for better vantage points to view some species or another.

From the opening of the wooden fence between the visitor center and kiosk, go straight, heading approximately north on the well-worn path. Look on your right for a thick mass of canyon grapes, which have already started growing new clusters of fruit. Within about one minute's walk from the trailhead, the trail will open up and you will find a small pond to your left.

This side of the pond is not as vegetated as the west side, which you will pass on your return. It's surrounded by willows, cattails and cottonwoods. Take a minute and walk up to the edge of the pond, where you might see some turtles, and if you visit soon, you will be able to see hundreds of 3- to 4-inch-long tadpoles. These will soon become bullfrogs, a nonnative species in the West.

About 250 species of birds have been recorded at Corn Creek, and although the best hours for serious birding are early morning and evening, you can count on seeing a feathered multitude even during a midday visit. The outdoor kiosk has brochures with the refuge's bird list, breaking down into categories of common, uncommon, occasional and rare birds, and according to what season you might see them. Be sure to bring along some binoculars and a guide to Western birds and you will be off to a good start.

Two weeks ago when I visited, some of the more uncommon birds to be seen were red-tailed hawk, belted kingfisher, Wilson's snipe, Townsend's warbler, Bullock's oriole, white-faced ibis and golden eagle.

As you continue on the trail, you will descend down a small hill and come to two wooden structures on your right. The larger one is called the Railroad Tie Cabin and is thought to have been built in the 1920s. There was a ranch at Corn Creek from 1916 until the federal government bought the land in 1939. Railroad ties were once a common building material in Southern Nevada, but this cabin, now being restored, is one of the few tie buildings remaining. As was common after a railroad stopped operating, the steel rails were recycled and used elsewhere, but the wooden ties were left behind. These are from the old rail line that ran to Beatty from 1906 to 1918.

After visiting the cabin, take a spur trail down the hill in a southwesterly direction to look into the windows of the Pahrump poolfish refugium. The man-made building provides a habitat much like the spring where this species originally lived. That spring has since gone dry. This holds some of the last remaining fish and keeps them protected from nonnative predators, such as the bullfrogs and crayfish that were illegally introduced into Corn Creek.

Continuing back on the main loop and heading west, look for desert mistletoe, a parasite making its home in a variety of host trees. The plant has scalelike leaves with a profusion of pink to red berries. The Phainopepla, a crested, black bird commonly seen at Corn Creek, especially favors these berries. Take your next left, which will take you in between two more ponds.

These ponds are highly vegetated. Large cattails and other waterloving plants thrive here and provide a safe haven for a variety of wildlife. Because of the protective natural cover, you probably won't see much of anything, but if you stop for a while and listen, you will be sure to find it quite riotous, with sounds from birds and other creatures rustling around from within.

After the ponds, you will reach a junction. To continue on the loop back to the trailhead, go left, but before you do, check out the view to the west. There is a pretty and serene meadow, usually complete with a grazing horse, and behind it you have far-reaching views of the Spring Mountains, including Mount Charleston.

Continuing back on the loop, you will be under a canopy of trees and walking alongside a small stream. Look for the healthy, water-loving plants at water's edge, which include some very fragrant mint.

Here you will be walking to the right of the stream and to the left of a large, grassy orchard that includes pecans, almonds, pomegranates and other fruit trees. Continue along the path as it skirts the stream. You will pass the other side of the first pond you visited and then the rear of the visitor center and back to the trailhead.

Corn Creek trails are open daily, although the visitor center is only open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, through Memorial Day. The visitor center is closed during the summer months, but reopens Labor Day Weekend.

Deborah Wall is the author of "Great Hikes, A Cerca Country Guide," published by Stephens Press. She can be reached at Deborabus@aol.com.