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 Swimming Pool Trail starts on the northwest side of town and heads west to an historic house, then drops into a desert wetland complete with trees, streams, marsh vegetation, and even pupfish.

The area is small, and the trail is fairly short, but it seems that some clearing has been going on, and birders may need to find their own way around inside the marsh. If all else fails, birders can simply walk the 0.36-mile perimeter of the wetland and spot birds from the old, dry dirt roads.

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. The trail runs through a marshy area, so wear sensible shoes and plan on damp feet by the end.

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 Swimming Pool Trail Trailhead is located on the northwest end of town behind (west of) the campground trailer park. Look for the swimming pool; the trailhead parking is on the north side of the pool. Watch for pale blue trail markers. Note that the pool is for campground guests.

The Swimming Pool Trail

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint Pool-01), the trail runs up the hill (northwest) to the right of the parking area. The trail stays right of the mesquite thickets until reaching an old road at the base of the hill (Wpt. Pool-02), then turns left and runs southwest on the old road towards an historic homesite.

The old road passes a break in the thickets (Wpt. Pool-03) where birders can descend into the marshy area. For those who go into the marsh, stay right as much as possible to the wellhead (big white box), and then turn down along the outflow stream (this trail exits to the perimeter at Wpt. Pool-06).

Otherwise, remaining on the old road brings birders to the old homestead (Wpt. Pool-04). The building isn't really safe to enter, but that rarely stops anyone.

Continuing southwest on the perimeter and bending to the south, the old road passes another break in the mesquite thickets (Wpt. Pool-05) where, again, birders can wander down into the marshy area. Doing so here will take birders to the outflow stream below the spring at a place where pupfish can be seen in a small pool (again exiting to the perimeter at Wpt. Pool-06).

Continuing south on the perimeter trail, the old road bends to the southeast and passes water tanks on the right. Then, staying between the thickets and some tin buildings, you arrive at a trail junction (Wpt. Pool-06) along the outflow stream. Birders who ventured into the marsh at either of the previous points exit the marsh here.

Now on a better-used dirt road, the trail continues east to yet another trail junction (Wpt. Pool-07). This damp trail cuts back across the marsh (following blue trail markers) through the wet lower area to the trailhead parking.

Staying on the better-used dirt road, the trail quickly exits onto the paved road (Wpt. Pool-08). Turning left and following the pavement north, birders pass wet thickets and the swimming pool on the way to the trailhead (Wpt. Pool-01), completing the loop.