Birding Around Las Vegas, Death Valley National Park
 It's not much, but this is water in the desert (view S) |
Description With few exceptions, the overwhelming impression one gets from Death Valley is that it is an extremely hot and dry land that is unencumbered by the burden of dirt and vegetation. To most birds, the entire area probably looks barren. Mesquite Spring, a cluster of seeps and a spring under a thicket of mesquite and cottonwood trees, is one of those exceptions. Mesquite Spring is located in the remote and scenic far northern end of Death Valley. The spring itself sits in the bottom of the valley, between some little hills and Death Valley Wash. The main spring area is overgrown with a thicket of Screwbean mesquite, western honey mesquite, two big cottonwood trees and a small one, and there are rushes and rabbitbrush around the spring and the outflow. Just below the thicket, the vegetation opens up into relatively lush Mojave Desert vegetation, visually dominated by creosote bush and saltbush. There is a saltgrass meadow with a couple of little seeps to the west of the main spring. |
 Thicket at the spring (view N from campground entrance) |
The Mesquite Spring Campground is located between the spring and the bottom of the wash. This is a pretty area to camp and look for birds and other wildlife that are attracted to the water and vegetation. Location Mesquite Spring is located in the far northern end of Death Valley National Park, about 55 miles north of Furnace Creek. |
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From Las Vegas, drive northwest for about 2.5 hours to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center (Table 1, Site 712) in Death Valley National Park. From the Visitor Center, drive north on Highway 190 for 17 miles to Scotty's Castle Road (Site 763). Turn right onto Scotty's Castle Road and drive north for 33 miles to the Mesquite Spring Campground access road (Site 903). The campground access road is 0.6 miles before the Grapevine Ranger Station and about 5 miles before Scotty's Castle. Turn left onto the campground access road and drive southwest for 1.8 miles to Mesquite Spring (Site 562), which is located at the entrance to the campground. Hours The park and the campground are always open, but Mesquite Spring should be considered day-use only. Fees After paying the park entrance fee, there are no additional entrance fees. If you spend the night, additional campground fees apply. |
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Specialties Mesquite Spring is good for finding migrants and desert species, with an emphasis on desert species, but the species mix depends on the season, and what you see during migration depends on who is moving through at the time. Review the park bird list for the time of year that you plan to visit. Keep an eye out for the resident Common Roadrunners, and in the evening watch for bats (including Pallid Bats with 18-inch wingspans), desert cottontail, black-tailed jackrabbit, Ord's kangaroo rat, and Merriam's kangaroo rat. |
 Mesquite Spring during winter |
 Mesquite Spring during winter |
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 The saltgrass meadow is adjacent to the campground (view N) |
 The saltgrass meadow and saltbush thicket |
Table 1. GPS Coordinates for Highway Locations (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.
| Site # | Location | Latitude (°N) | Longitude (°W) | UTM Easting | UTM Northing | Elevation (feet) | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 562 | Mesquite Spring | 36.9625 | 117.3676 | 467278 | 4090573 | 5905 | Yes |
| 712 | Furnace Creek Visitor Center | 36.4616 | 116.8657 | 512030 | 4034954 | -185 | Yes |
| 763 | Hwy 190 at Scotty's Castle Rd | 36.6391 | 117.0353 | 496843 | 4054636 | 104 | Yes |
| 903 | Scotty's Castle Rd at Mesquite Campground Rd | 36.9900 | 117.3623 | 467755 | 4093621 | 2175 | Yes |
Happy birding! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 240323
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