Description

Shoshone is a small town with a bit of water and green amid a very arid piece of desert. This isn't a birding destination, but it is a nice place for traveling birders to stop for the night and do some evening and morning birding.

There are five birding trails in town. The Blue Trail starts from downtown and heads east into mesquite and brush thickets down along the Amargosa River. The trail makes a modified figure-8 loop (0.94 miles) out into the saltbrush and mesquite to the edge of the Amargosa River.

Link to trail map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is pretty safe when the weather is cool. If the weather is hot, this area can be unbelievably hot, so bring some water. Most of the trail is covered with chipped wood (local trees and shrubs), so it can be uneven, making sensible shoes a good idea. The trail cuts through mesquite thickets where birders with big hats need to pay attention to low-hanging branches.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This walk is so short that you don't need to bring the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

The Blue Trail Trailhead is located in downtown Shoshone, between the Visitor Center and Crowbar Cafe. The first blue trail marker is along the walkway between the two buildings.

The Blue Trail

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint Blue-01), the trail runs east between two buildings. The restrooms for the Crowbar Cafe are behind the main building, so use 'em if you need 'um. Bending a bit to the right and then to the left, the trail starts into the desert following a rock-lined trail (Wpt. Blue-02). Look carefully and notice the first blue trail marker out in the brush.

The trail runs east about 50 yards, then bends left and heads north through low shrubs for most of another 100 yards. At this point, the trail turns right to head east into deep saltbrush thickets and mesquite hammocks.

Winding about, but generally heading east, the trail runs out to a trail junction (Wpt. Blue-03). This is the start of the first loop. Staying to the left, the trail cuts through mesquite thickets to another trail junction (Wpt. Blue-04). To the left, a spur-trail runs out to the second loop.

Turning right onto the spur-trail, the trail returns the 100 yards to the main loop (Wpt. Blue-04). Turning left to continue around the first loop, the trail runs out along the Amargosa River and arrives at another trail junction (Wpt. Blue-06). Here, the Blue Trail continues straight, but the Aqua Trail turns left to cross the "river." The Aqua Trail runs east, then turns north to connect with the Red Trail, about 1/2 miles away.

Continuing on the Blue Trail, the trail curves to the right where a low-hanging branch waits for birders with big sun hats - don't let it catch you off guard.

The trail continues curving to the right, eventually returning to the start of the main loop (Wpt. Blue-03). Turning left, birders begin the hike back to the trailhead (Wpt. Blue-01).