Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah.
Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located on the southern end of the Great Salt Lake Desert, was established March 10, 1959 by the land purchase of 2,160 acres using proceeds from Federal Duck Stamp sales, thus ensuring habitat for migrating and wintering birds within the Pacific Flyway. Fish Springs NWR became one of the over 560 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System - a network of lands set aside and managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service specifically for wildlife. The Refuge is named for the native Utah chub that is found throughout the Refuge springs and impoundments. Fish Springs has been a place of essential importance in meeting human and wildlife needs over the past 11,000 years and supplied necessary water and food to the once nomadic Goshute (Gosiuta) tribe as they traveled their ancestral homelands.
Totaling 17,922 acres, the Refuge supports 10,000 acres of lush, spring-fed wetlands, a critical habitat in the arid Great Basin. These life-sustaining waters that make Fish Springs a true oasis in the desert are created by artesian pressure and hydrothermal convection along fracture zones in the Great Basin Carbonate Rock and Alluvial Aquifer. The water from the springs is brackish and warm. The springs discharge approximately 22,000 – 27,000 acre-feet of water per year, most of which is recharged from areas outside the Fish Springs Flat.
Activities and Experiences
Nearby Activities
- Auto Touring
- Biking
- Birding
- Environmental Education
- Historic & Cultural Site
- Hunting
- Interpretive Programs
- Non-Motorized Boating
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Wildlife Viewing
Directions
From Salt Lake City via the Pony Express Route:
(Plan on about 3 hours travel time.)
- Take I-80 W to exit 77 for UT-196 toward Rowley/Dugway
- Turn left onto State Hwy 196 S/UT-196 S for about 37 miles
- Stay straight to follow unpaved S Government Creek Rd for about 10 miles
- Turn right onto unpaved Pony Express Route/Simpson Springs-Callao Rd for about 62 miles
- Arrive at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
From Salt Lake City via Lynndyl:
(May cause longer travel time, but reduces unpaved road distance.)
- Take I-15 S to State Rte 41/UT-28 S in Juab County. Take exit 228 from I-15 S
- Take UT-132 W to Lynndyl
- Turn left onto US-6 W
- Take unpaved Brush Wellman Rd, Brush Beryllium Rd and Flourspar
- Turn left onto unpaved Pony Express Route
- Arrive at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
Please consult paper maps of the area for alternative routes.
Know before you go:
Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the most isolated Refuges in the lower 48 states and is 75 miles from the closest town with any services. Travel requires driving 25 to 80 miles of gravel roads. Visiting the Refuge requires a long drive on unpaved roads without nearby food, gas or other services.
Travel Tips
You can take precautions to ensure that your trip to Fish Springs NWR will be a safe and pleasant one. Things to consider are gasoline, tires, food and water, weather and driving safety.
- Be sure to fill up on gasoline. The nearest gas stations are at Lynndyl, Delta, The Border Inn on Hwy 6, Wendover, and Stockton.
- Make sure you have a good spare tire. Flat tires are common on gravel roads. Bringing an extra spare tire is a wise precaution. Patch kits and portable air compressors are a good idea.
- Carry plenty of water. If you are stranded for any reason, you will need plenty of drinking water. Experts recommend between 2-liters and a gallon of water per person per day in the desert. While there is a good chance someone will come along soon to provide some assistance, it is always better to be safe and carry plenty of water. It is also a good idea to pack additional snacks that won’t melt to quickly or go bad outside of a cooler. If you have a radiator boil-over extra water may get you to safety.
- Prepare for cold weather. Carry warm clothing and sleeping bags when traveling in cold weather. Snow drifts have stranded many travelers.
- Drive Carefully. Gravel roads are very slippery and have corrugations and pot holes that can cause you to run off the road. There are also blind corners and hills which may have turns, animals or another automobile on the other side.
- Park Safely. It may seem like you are the only one on the road but someone may still come along at any time. Common mistakes are: Blocking the roadway by stopping or even leaving unattended vehicles on the roadway. Stopping or parking on blind corners and hills.
- GPS warning: GPS units show roads that are in poor condition, not maintained or in secure military areas. Travelers following GPS directions have had to spend nights in their autos and walk many miles for help after being stuck on these roads. Search parties have rescued stranded travelers.
- Cell phones do not work for many miles in any direction in the Fish Springs area.
- Remember these are county roads and all state and county laws apply. Off road vehicles are not allowed. Failure to use good judgment could become a life or death situation. The number one cause of automobile related injury and death in the west desert is single car rollovers. Excessive speed causes people to loose control. Pay attention to posted road signs
- Be Courteous - When passing an on-coming vehicle please slow down to about 30 mph. This will reduce the shower of rocks thrown onto windshields when passing. If you have a flat tire please remove the rocks you use for blocking your wheels from the road.
WILSON HOT SPRINGS
Warning !
- People have had their dogs fall into the springs and die from burns. Please keep your pets away from the springs!
- Wilson hot springs is located off the refuge on property belonging to the US Army.
- If you try to drive to the hot springs remember that the water in the road on the way to the hot springs is actually a spring. People often drive around the visible standing water only to get stuck 200 to 300 feet later where rescue vehicles cannot go. The water level is several feet below the surface in this area, so there is no solid place to drive to the hot springs.
Additional Information