Overview

The Grasslands Trail is a fairly easy, 4.1-mile loop that follows quiet dirt roads through a Joshua Tree forest carpeted with Mojave Desert bunchgrass species and with grand scenery in all directions. The mountain most sacred to the local native people, Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain) lies just across the valley and is visible from many parts of the trail. Hart Mountain, the high point in the Castle Mountains, lies just south of the trail. High peaks in the New York Mountains are most noticeable during the return hike. At the far side of the loop, the trail joins the historic Barnwell and Searchlight (B&S) Railroad grade. The highlight of the hike, however, is the dense grassland composed of some 12 species of grasses, including Big Galleta, Bush Muhly, Fluffgrass, and several rare species.

Except for crossing one wash, the grades are easy with a total descent of 350 ft. The Grasslands Loop Trail can be done as a loop or as an in-and-out hike from the B&S Railroad grade.

Link to map. For more information, see Friends of Avi Kwa Ame NM and their PDF.

The Hike

Described here is the Grasslands Trail done as a loop in the counter-clockwise direction. For many more details of the hike, see Grasslands Trail done in the clockwise direction.

Hiking the loop counter-clockwise, the trail starts at the Grasslands Trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01) and runs down Walking Box Ranch Road for about 1.1 miles. There are a couple of road signs along the way, including a mile post sign at the 8-mile mark and two caution signs. The second caution sign warns drivers to take a right-hand curve at 25 mph. Along the outside edge of this curve, a narrow two-track road (Wpt. 07) with a "designated road" sign forks hard to the left.

The Grasslands Trail follows this two-track road northeast for about 1.1 miles where it crosses a wide, sandy wash (Wpt. 05). The road forks here, but the Grasslands Trail continues straight to climb out of the wash.

Out of the wash, Grasslands Trail joins the trace of the old B&S Railroad for about 0.1 miles. At this point, the Grasslands Trail reaches a confusing, 5-way intersection (Wpt. 04) of dirt roads. The railroad grade continues straight northeast, but the Grasslands Trail hooks hard to the left onto either of the two roads merging onto the railroad grade.

Shortly, these two road merge and pass through a fenceline adjacent to a cattle guard (Wpt. 03). Now heading northwest, the Grasslands Trail follows this road all the way back to Walking Box Ranch Road (Wpt. 02) and the trailhead (Wpt. 01).