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Corn Creek Road
Backroads Around Las Vegas, Desert National Wildlife Refuge
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road
Road signs along Highway 95 (view N)

Overview

Corn Creek Road, so named because it connects Highway 95 with Corn Creek Field Station in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, provides the primary access to the wildlife refuge from Las Vegas. For most visitors, this is just the road to the Visitor Center, but for those who know better, this is the road to wild places and grand adventures.

Corn Creek Road also provides access to northern reaches of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and the Village of Corn Creek.

Corn Creek Road is 3.8-miles long and paved, but the road is subject to flash flooding and sometimes rocks get thrown up on the road.

In Desert NWR, the road is now closed between sunset and 4am.

Link to map.

Corn Creek Road
Highway 95 approaching Corn Creek Road (view N)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about being in the desert ... Corn Creek Road is a fine road. There are no services (no fuel, no food) or developments of any kind except the Visitor Center where water and restrooms are available. Cell phones work along this road. The speed limit is 35 mph.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This road is short, so just bring what you need of the 10 Essentials. This is a wildlife refuge, so pay extra attention to respecting the land and the wildlife.

Corn Creek Road
Tule Spring Fossil Bed National Monument information kiosk (view NW)

Location

Corn Creek Road is located on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, about 25 minutes northwest of Las Vegas.

From Las Vegas, drive north on Highway 95 passing the turnoffs to Mt. Charleston and the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Reservation (the highway goes under an overpass here). About 6 miles past the overpass, the turnoff to Corn Creek (Table 1, Site 0350) is marked by a small green refuge sign, a Corn Creek Road sign, and a paved road heading east across the desert. Turn right; this is Corn Creek Road.

The Road

From Highway 95 (Table 1, Site 0350), Corn Creek Road passes a dirt parking area on the right with an information kiosk about Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, then bends left in an area of low rolling hills were water sometimes crosses the road. These rolling hills are covered with Creosote Bush, White Bursage, and other species typical of the Mojave Desert Scrub habitat type.

Corn Creek Road
Hwy 95 at Corn Creek Road (view N)

The road runs straight at a slight decline towards the bottom of the valley. The road passes a T-intersection to Corn Creek Village, which lies off to the right. Continuing straight, the road passes the boundary sign for the wildlife refuge, and the field station can be seen ahead in the distance.

Dipping into the bottom of the valley, Corn Creek Road passes through an area of playa-type soils with heavy-clays. Here, in the Shadscale habitat type, Shadscale saltbush is the dominant species. This is the best place around Las Vegas to find Le Conte's Thrashers.

Approaching the field station, the road passes two service roads on the left (providing maintenance and refuge staff entrances), curves to the left and approaches the visitor center (Site 0106), which is on the far side of the refuge headquarters and maintenance buildings.

Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road (view E from Highway 95; view E)

Just before the Visitor Center entrance road, a small kiosk on the right provides a map, general information about the refuge, and a sign-in register. For visitors entering the refuge without stopping in the Visitor Center, please sign-in here. Use a false name if you don't want the government tracking your movements, but sign-in so the refuge gets information on visitor use. Hopefully better information will lead to better funding for things like grading the backroads.

The Visitor Center parking area is on the left. If space is available, be sure to park in the shaded parking area.

Continuing a few more yards, Corn Creek Road ends at a T-intersection (Site 1295). Here, Alamo Road runs north (left) and Mormon Well Road runs south (right). Signs provide mileages and general warnings about these roads that provide access to wild and wonderful places in the interior of the refuge. These roads can be quite rough, so don't start out unprepared.

Corn Creek Road
Tule Spring Fossil Beds National Monument info sign (view NW)
Corn Creek Road
Tule Spring Fossil Beds National Monument info sign (view N)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road, continuing past the information kiosk (view SE)
Corn Creek Road
Early on, Corn Creek road passes through Creosote-Bursage habitat
Corn Creek Road Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road
The the road passes the first of the Shadscale Scrub Habitat (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching turn-off to Corn Creek Village (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Village Road (view S from Corn Creek Road)
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Approaching wildlife refuge boundary sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Refuge boundary sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Refuge boundary sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching automatic entrance gate (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching information sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Information sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Automatic gate closed between sunset and 4am (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching automatic gate (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching automatic gate (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Automatic gate, when open, slides to the right (view SE)
Corn Creek Road
Automatic gate, when open, gate slides to the right (view SE)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching info sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Info sign: street-legal vehicles only (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Re-entering the lower-elevation Shadscale Scrub Habitat
Corn Creek Road
Saltbush flats -- home for sparrows and thrashers (view ENE)
Corn Creek Road
Birder looking for Bell's Sparrow and Le Conte's Thrasher
Corn Creek Road
Check the Mesquite trees for Le Conte's Thrasher (view S)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road in the lower-elevation Shadscale Scrub Habitat
Corn Creek Road
A colony of Mining Bees on the edge of the road
Corn Creek Road
A colony of Mining Bees on the edge of the road
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road climbs back into Creosote-Bursage Scrub habitat
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at Service Road to Boneyard (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at 1st Service Road to maintenance area (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at 2nd Service Road to maintenance area (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road approaching exit from Visitor Center parking
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road approaching exit from Visitor Center parking
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at exit from Visitor Center parking
Corn Creek Road
Passing the exit from Visitor Center covered parking
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road approaching backcountry sign-in station
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at the backcountry sign-in station
Corn Creek Road
These are the Nuwuvi Homelands (sign at sign-in station)
Corn Creek Road
Backcountry sign-in station
Corn Creek Road
Backcountry sign-in register box
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road approaching Visitor Center parking entrance
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road approaching Visitor Center parking entrance
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at Visitor Center parking entrance
Corn Creek Road
Passing Corn Creek Visitor Center parking entrance (view from road)

Turning into Corn Creek Visitor Center

Corn Creek Road
Turning into Corn Creek Visitor Center parking entrance (view N)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Visitor Center on the right (view N)
Corn Creek Road
Entering Corn Creek Field Station Visitor Center parking (view N)
Corn Creek Road
Passing Corn Creek Field Station Visitor Center
Corn Creek
Covered parking at Corn Creek Field Station Visitor Center
Corn Creek Road
End of covered parking at Corn Creek Field Station Visitor Center
Corn Creek Road
Exiting the covered parking at Corn Creek Field Station Visitor Center
Corn Creek Road
Parking Loop Road at Corn Creek Road

Continuing East on Corn Creek Road

Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road continuing past the Visitor Center (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Information sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Information sign; this usually is a good idea
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road continues (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Approaching the end of Corn Creek Road (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road approaching information sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at information sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Information sign (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road ends at a T-intersection (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road ends at a T-intersection (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Sign across the T-intersection (view E)
Corn Creek Road
Sign across the T-intersection (note mileage correction)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at Alamo Road (view N)
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek Road at Mormon Well Road (view N)

Table 1. Highway Distances Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Site Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Elevation (ft) Verified
0106 Corn Creek parking area 647198 4033568 36.43787 115.35777 2,814 Yes
0350 Hwy 95 at Corn Creek Rd 641416 4032155 36.42601 115.42251 3,050 Yes
1295 Corn Creek Rd at Alamo-Mormon Rd 647311 4033593 36.43808 115.35650 2,933 Yes

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240324

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