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Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows Overview
Established on June 18, 1984, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a 23,000-acre spring-fed wetland area managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service located in Nye County, Nevada.
The area is very unique by being home to over 20 unique plants and animals, with several listed as endangered.
On the refuge is the 70-acre Crystal Reservoir, which is an interesting place to stop for a visit as the water is incredibly blue and makes you feel you are in the tropics… well, almost.
It’s a great place to bring a blanket and enjoy lunch while watching the wildlife, such as wading birds and waterfowl (see pics below).
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Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows Location
Crystal Reservoir is located within the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, which is about 2 hours northwest of Las Vegas. Click here to view the Ash Meadow Map for detailed directions.
Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows Hours
The Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge is a day-use area, which is open from sunrise to sunset.
Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows Fees
There is not an entrance fee to access Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows.
Parking at Crystal Reservoir
Delilah Mae and her buddy at Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
There is an unpaved area for parking with lots of room.
Each time I have been to Crystal Reservoir there have not been others there so I had the entire place to myself.
The parking area at Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
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Swimming at Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
Swimming at Crystal Reservoir is the only place on the refuge but be warned, there is a chance you can get Swimmer’s Itch.
Swimmer’s Itch or schistosome cercarial dermatitis is a skin reaction caused by the penetration of the larval stage of certain flatworms that can be picked up while swimming. It is neither dangerous nor contagious but is very uncomfortable. (Source: Information from U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
This area is a “hot spot” for unique wildlife spotting.
There are so many animals you can that the list is too long to mention here. Below are resources to help you prepare for your trip to Crystal Reservoir:
- Learn more about which animals you may encounter from the US Fish and Wildlife Services page.
- Click here to download the Ash Meadows bird checklist.
The Wading Birds that may be seen during your visit to Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
Waterfowl that may be seen during your visit to Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
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Dog-Friendly
Dogs must be on a leash at all times, except when used in association with legal hunting in designated areas.
Dogs are allowed on boardwalks; owners must clean up after their pets.
Do not leave pets in vehicles, especially from April through October when daytime temperatures can be high.
Road Bikes
No bicycles are allowed on the boardwalks.
Drones at Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
Drones are prohibited on the refuge.
Launching, landing, or disturbing of wildlife by aircraft (drones) is prohibited. (Source: 50 CFR 27.34/27.61)
Prohibited Items at Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
The refuge does not allow horseback riding, fishing, camping, open fires, fireworks, off-road vehicles, swimming, or collecting of plants, animals, geological formations, or artifacts.
Boat Info
Only non-motorized boats or boats with electric motors are permitted on the refuge and only on Crystal and Peterson Reservoirs.
Watercraft must be in compliance with all applicable state and federal rules.
Help protect your boat and Nevada’s waters by thoroughly cleaning your boat prior to entering any body of water and checking for aquatic hitchhikers, such as the quagga mussel.
Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows Additional Photos
It seems I pick the windy days to visit Ash Meadows and therefore all my pics have ripped water. One day…
Another view of Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
Ash Meadows Resources
Crystal Reservoir at Ash Meadows
I am an outdoor enthusiast who would rather be on a backcountry backpacking trip than a stroll on the beach (although I do love the beach!).
Living in Las Vegas has afforded me the opportunity to easily explore the Southwest region of the United States.
A nature lover, I am often found at the end of the pack taking photos and videos of the wildlife found on the trails. Colorful flowers, desert animals, and unusual geological rock formations are often the majority of my photos.
I used to swim in the Crystal spring, Longstreet spring, and Fairbanks spring when I was a kid during the late 70s and early 80s. We even swam in devil’s hole when you could enter from a cave around the backside. My brother and I caught a few pupfish and took them home but my mom mad us take them back and we did. I learned to waterski on crystal lake when you could put motorized boats in the water, and I won first place in a bass tournament back in 2002, when you could still fish the lake for large mouth bass. Those pup fish have managed to survive thousands of years with no help from humans. I don’t understand why park officials had to drain our lake to get rid of all the “nonindigenous ” wildlife when the lake or reservoir itself is not indigenous, but is a man made body of water. We respected the no swimming rule when they enforced it at the springs, but to take away the boating and fishing rights at Crystal lake when there are no pup fish in the lake was going overboard. That was the only summer recreation for us long time locals. They say we can still swim the lake, but in the summer months they drain it so low that it makes the mud around the water so soft you sink up to your knees in it, and it causes the flying knats to come out in huge numbers. The swimmers itch is also far worse when the water is low. They do this on purpose so that locals will stop swimming the lake. Im all for protecting an endangered species. But the springs feed the man made reservoir…. and therefore the pupfish are in no danger from anything that happens in the reservoir . For years there were beautiful small and large mouth bass in the reservoir that provided locals with a place to take their families to fish and swim. But they drained the reservoir to kill off the bass so people wouldn’t come to fish. Do they not think that maybe some of the migratory birds eat bass too ? I’ve seen three bald eagles and many many golden eagles over the years there. Do they not eat fish? Environmentalists seem to always go too far and often to the point of inadvertantly making things worse for the very wildlife they set out to protect . I just wish they could have left the damn reservoir alone, since it was in no way a danger to the pupfish. Now I have nowhere to take my grandchild to swim and fish the way I did many years ago. So much for preserving a way of life for us humans.