HIKING TRAIL:
CASTLE MOUNTAINS GRASSLANDS TRAIL

Click to download a copy of our summary trail document for this hike.

  • Type: Loop Trail: 

  • Total Trail Length: 5 miles

  • Trail Surfaces: Unmaintained gravel, sand, rock 

  • Difficulty: Easy to moderate

  • Restrooms: None

  • Parking Type: Pull-out

  • Vehicle Access to Parking: All-types

  • Dogs: Allowed on Leash

  • Guides: No trail markers

  • Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible

  • Activities: Walking, Mountain Biking, Horseback Riding

OVERVIEW

Castle Mountains Grasslands Trail traverses a dense Joshua tree forest, boasts spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, and intersects the historic Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad line. The trail is actually a little-traveled, narrow backcountry road, and is easy walking with an elevation difference of only around 300 feet. This trail is 5 miles round trip if taken as a loop but can be made into a back & out if only walking part of the two-mile first section.

The coordinates for this trail are 35.397812, -115.085446.

 ABOUT THE ROUTE:

There are three segments to the loop trail: 2-mile segment from corral to intersection with the historic Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad grade; I.7-mile segment from the railroad grade intersection to the Walking Box Ranch Road; and the 1.3-mile segment along the Walking Box Ranch Road back to the starting point at the coral. The loop trail is a diverse gem and one of the best places to see rare Mojave Desert grasslands. 

TRAIL SEGMENT 1: As you walk past the corral and parking area and begin down the trail on the left, you will notice the jagged Castle Mountains to the right (south). Composed of early Proterozoic gneiss and foliated granites, overlain by thick volcanic deposits, the rugged Castle Mountains are emblematic of the Mojave landscape. Hart Peak is the prominent feature in the Castle Mountains skyline at 5,543 feet and is visible throughout the hike. Looking east, you will see the Eldorado Mountains in the distance and the Newberry Mountain range, with Spirit Mountain (Avi Kwa Ame), facing you to the southeast. 

Route Map - Castle Mountains Grasslands - Avi Kwa Ame National Monument

This segment ends at the intersection of the Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad grade which will be the road that takes off to the left. The Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad was a 23-mile long railroad which connected Searchlight, Nevada to Barnwell, California and the larger rail network of the Mojave Desert. Between 1907 and 1910, the gold mines of Searchlight produced millions of dollars in gold and boasted a population of 1,500. Ore was shipped to Barnwell via the Barnwell and Searchlight rail service. The Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad was formed in April 1906 at the height of the gold rush in Searchlight. The 23 miles of track were laid down between May 1st, 1906 and March 31st, 1907.  On April 7, 1907, just seven days after construction was completed, the railway was leased by the California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway. On September 23, 1923 the line's track was washed out and was abandoned on February 18, 1924. Searchlight’s population during this time was dying and by 1927 the population was only around 50 people. Like many railroads, the valuable track was removed and recycled in other lines across the county. While hiking the trail, it is a little hard to imagine that an active railroad used to traverse the landscape.  

 
 

TRAIL SEGMENT 2: At the intersection of trail segment 1 with the Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad grade road, you take a hard right rather than going straight ahead or to the left. This 1.7-mile segment heads straight west.

Along this segment, you will have a chance to see a wildlife guzzler as one is right adjacent to the trail. To help improve the survival of desert species, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has installed man-made guzzlers in areas where there is not enough water to support wildlife without supplemental water sources. These man-made water sources can help ensure water availability during times of drought by capturing rainwater in a way that prevents it from evaporating. While guzzlers are built to primarily benefit big game and upland bird species, they also provide a valuable source of water for wildlife of all types and sizes. 

Along this segment of the loop trail, you get outstanding views of the volcanic Castle Peaks to the northwest. The peaks are composed principally of volcanic tuffs and breccias which caused deep erosion and formed distinct, sharp summits. They provide a striking contrast to the Joshua Tree woodlands at their base.

 
 

TRAIL SEGMENT 3: When reaching the Walking Box Ranch Road, take a right and follow that road for 1.3 miles to where you started the hike at the coral.  

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

This hike is located in a remote, back-country area and cell service is spotty. The closest restrooms and services are 15 miles away in Searchlight. Fill your gas tank, bring plenty of water and snacks, and be prepared for temperature extremes. The corral parking area and trail are easy to find, but there are no trail signs. Long pants, hats, and study walking shoes are recommended.

DIRECTIONS AND PARKING:

  • From Las Vegas, drive south on U.S. Highway 95 to Searchlight.

  • Turn right onto Hwy 164 (Joshua Tree Highway) and drive west for 7 miles.

  • Turn left on Walking Box Ranch Road.

  • Drive 8 miles to the old cattle corral and park on the right.

  • The trail (an unmaintained, unmarked narrow road) is on your left.

Walking Box Ranch Road is a well-maintained, wide dirt road that will accommodate all vehicle types. The coordinates for the trailhead are 11S 673788m E and 3918888m N (35.397812, -115.085446 DD).

MORE ABOUT THIS TRAIL

The Castle Mountains area also contains important cultural resources that reflect a long history of pre- historic and historic human use. Prehistoric rock markings and archeological sites are found throughout the area at sites of significant cultural importance to both the Fort Mojave and Chemehuevi Tribes.

The terrain surrounding the trail is a hotspot of botanical diversity and provides a critical linkage for plants, animals, and water between mountain ranges. The unique plant assemblage includes 28 species of native grasses (about half of which are rare), including galleta, burro grass and false buffalo grass. These perennial grasses are the keystone species in this part of the Mojave Desert, and play critical roles in soil stabilization, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, water regulation, and erosion control. They essentially hold the ecosystem together, produce the bulk of the organic matter which in turn provides the habitat for forb and shrub seedling survival. Without the perennial grass understory, the organic matter and nutrients in the soil oxidize and blow away. Even long-lived shrubs like creosote can cease reproducing when the soils are lacking in organic matter for their seedlings to survive. 

Galleta grass is the most extensive of the grasses along the trail route. As a warm season or “C4” perennial grass, galleta is more water-efficient than many grasses, and so can photosynthesize at high temperatures and under relatively droughty conditions. The species also flowers and produces seed in mid-summer rather than spring. It grows in bunches of thin and tall stems up to 25 inches tall, with long, flat bladed leaves at its base. It produces relatively few seeds and spreads mainly by underground rhizomes.

Although the large Joshua Trees along the trail are the most showy species, there are other species such as the Mojave Yucca, Banana Yucca and the many cholla cactus species which are fascinating as well, particularly when you reflect on how they can survive in this desert environment. Joshua Trees develop deep, extensive root systems that can stretch as much as 36 feet away from their trunks. Joshua trees don't bloom every year. They need rainfall at the proper time and a winter freeze before they will bloom. The cholla use what is called CAM photosynthesis, an alternative pathway to convert energy from the sun into food. Mesophyll cells in the leaves convert carbon dioxide into organic acids. This allows the cholla to conserve water by keeping the stomata (the traditional pathway for photosynthesis) closed during the day. It is the only cactus with sheaths which cover the spine.

The native grasses and rich habitat along the trail provide shelter and food for a wide range of animals. A herd of desert bighorn sheep lives on the steep, rocky slopes of the Castle Mountains. They and other wildlife traverse the area between the Castles and the New York Mountains. Numerous bat species live in rock crevices and mine remnants in the area, and the grasses provide food and shelter for many species of insects, which are important pollinators and decomposers. Many species of birds can be spotted here, including red-tailed hawks. northern flickers, black-throated sparrows, crissal thrashers, verdins, and kestrels. Wildlife species of special concern found in the area include the Townsend’s big-eared bat, California leaf-nosed bat, gila monster, Swainson’s hawk, golden eagle, desert tortoise, Bendire’s thrasher, and gray vireo.

Like the plants, the animals that call this place home have developed some interesting adaptations to survive in this desert environment. Some of these adaptive techniques for survival demonstrated by animals that live here such as bearing young at most favorable times of the year and using physiological adaptations. This includes the ability to produce water from their own metabolic processes; ability to derive water from food such as fruits and body fluids of prey; and the ability to hibernate for long periods of time. 

Desert Bighorn Sheep are agile animals that are well adapted to Mojave Desert’s dry environment, going several weeks without water while living mostly off grasses and, sometimes, cacti. The bighorns' concave hooves allow them to climb steep, rocky desert mountains quickly and easily, helping them escape predators such as mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. Both male and female sheep grow their signature horns shortly after birth, and their horns continue growing throughout their lifetimes. Ewes have smaller lighter horns that rarely grow larger than a half-curl. Older rams can have impressively curled horns measuring over three feet long and weighing as much as 30 pounds. Rams are known for head-to-head battles that can last as long as 24 hours.

Just across the Nevada state line into California, only several miles from this segment of the trail as the crow flies, lies the historic town of Hart. In 1907, brothers Bert and Clark Hitt found rich gold ore, staking claims that became the Oro Belle and Big Chief Mines.  With James Hart, they founded the town of Hart at the base of Hart Peak.  Between 1908 and 1910, the town of Hart underwent a rapid boom and bust, and by 1920, Hart had become a ghost town.  Throughout this period of western expansion, railroads served the ranchers, miners, Hart residents, and others in this part of the eastern Mojave Desert. Part of the former 23-mile Barnwell and Searchlight Railway, later incorporated into the California Eastern Railway, ran through the Castle Mountains area. The old railroad grade can be seen at the end of the trail. 

There have been sightings of the Gila Monster in the general vicinity of the trail, although sightings are not common. Spending more time underground than even desert tortoises, this slow-moving but venomous lizard climbs Joshua trees and cacti to reach food, using an excellent sense of smell to locate prey. Though not fatal to healthy adults, the Gila Monster’s venom is a very powerful neurotoxin. Researchers are studying how various chemicals work in Gila monsters' venom, aiming to develop new treatments for a wide range of diseases including lung cancer, Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's. The Gila Monster is a state-protected species.