Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

Protecting over 900 square miles of wildlife habitat in northwest Nevada, this hidden gem is an unexpected pleasure.

Unexpected because we ended up back in Nevada earlier than planned due to the numerous wildfires in Oregon and California.

Virgin Valley Campground

Located a few miles down a dirt road into the refuge, this campsite was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) during the Great Depression. This campground is first-come, first-serve, and completely free for up to 14 days.

Natural Spring Pool & Bathhouse

The campground boasts a small spring fed pool and attached shower house. The spring water is 90°F, and the pool temperature varies between 80°F to 90°F throughout the year. This clear, emerald water pool is 5 feet deep, has a sandy-gravel bottom; and can tickle you unexpectedly when the spring water bubbles up from the bottom.

It’s an incredible way to while away a few hours in the hot summer afternoons. Especially since the springs flow rate is so high that the water is constantly refreshed; and therefore requires no chemicals to keep it clean.

McGee Pond

A small fishing pond located at the entrance of the campground, this pond is beautiful both during the day and at night.

Sunsets

The sunsets over the refuge are spectacular. All the pictures below were taken from the campground.

Rare Super Blue Moon

Since there is no civilization anywhere close, the skies are exceedingly dark, making it a perfect place to view a rare Super-Blue Moon. Rare because it’s a full moon, a super moon, and finally a blue moon all at the same time.

This moon is so bright, it lights up the campground like a spotlight.

Dufurrena Ponds

The Duferrena Ponds are a series of man made ponds that were created to help irrigate the area for ranchers and agriculture. They are now stocked with fish and serve as a home or stopover point to a variety of birds, as well as pronghorn antelope. There are 9 ponds maintained in the Dufurrena complex (but many more in the area) and we have the opportunity to explore a few of them.

Pond No. 19

Pond No. 20

Pond No. 22

Historic Buildings

On the road into the campground we pass one of the many historic building sites being preserved within this refuge. It’s currently being used for administration, so unfortunately we can’t get close enough to really explore the construction.

Wildlife

The main wildlife attraction in the area is the pronghorn antelope. We see a herd in the distance on the way into the park; but they’re too far away and we’re moving too fast for a picture.

However, we do get to see several of the other inhabitants living in the refuge.

Thousand Creek Gorge

Located about 3 miles northeast of the campground, we decide to use the bikes to go see the Thousand Creek Gorge Overlook. After reaching the overlook and exploring on foot for a bit, we opt for an alternate route back to camp so we can see the mouth of the gorge.

We’d planned an out and back trip of just over six miles. But, we end up doing 16 miles, and about 1,400 feet of elevation. It is a grueling ride and a few times the terrain is so steep and rocky, I either walk my bike down, or my honey parks his bike at the bottom, and comes back up the hill to ride mine down for me. Despite the unexpected difficulty of the ride, it is a very enjoyable morning and the scenery is incredible.

Opal Mines

There are several opal mines in the area; but we decide not to investigate those due to high winds on our last free afternoon. So, no opals for us. But, I did find a really nice piece of Obsidian while on our bike ride.

Next stop… South Fork State Recreation Area (SRA)