Longstreet Spring
This 82°F spring flows within Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, where Fish and Wildlife Service restricts access to protect endangered species habitat. At 2,310 feet in the Mojave Desert, the spring produces water 14 degrees warmer than ambient air. Chemical analysis shows 419 mg/L total dissolved solids with calcium-sulfate composition.
The spring lies virtually roadside on Longstreet Road in the Amargosa Desert valley, where Ash Meadows preserves a complex of over 30 seeps and springs that support endemic pupfish and other rare aquatic species. Screwbean mesquite, saltgrass, and rushes surround the discharge area. The refuge protects 23,000 acres of spring-fed wetlands at the terminus of an ancient groundwater system flowing beneath the Spring Mountains.
Access requires advance permission from refuge staff due to endangered species protections. Contact Ash Meadows NWR headquarters in Pahrump before visiting. The spring lies 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas via Highway 160 and Death Valley Junction Road. Visit November through March to avoid extreme desert heat exceeding 115°F.
Named for Civil War Confederate general James Longstreet, though the connection to this remote desert spring remains unclear. The Ash Meadows springs sustained Shoshone and Paiute peoples for millennia before ranchers diverted flows in the early 1900s. The Nature Conservancy purchased the land in 1984 to prevent a planned development, later transferring it to establish the national wildlife refuge in 1984.
The water at Longstreet Spring is slightly alkaline (pH 8.2) with 419 mg/L total dissolved solids.
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Longstreet Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. Bring sun protection for exposed soaking.
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