Hidden Forest Trail

One of the few “official” trails in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, this path follows an old Jeep road some 5.5 miles up into the Sheep Range. It goes all the way from the low-desert Joshua tree-creosote bush biome in the valley beyond the range front to a ponderosa pine forest, the “Hidden Forest.” The route follows a rugged, scenic canyon flanked by limestone spires and cliffs.  An old cabin sits at the end of the trail, as well as Wiregrass Spring, one of the few perennial springs in the refuge.

This cabin had been the subject of fanciful stories over the years. Some claimed it dated back to the 19th century, or that it was a bootlegger’s hideout during Prohibition, or a prospector’s camp. The actual backstory on the cabin was only elucidated in 2019, by researchers using contemporary accounts preserved in the archives of newspapers in Las Vegas and at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. It turns out to be as colorful—and as sad—as any fictional tale.

Clarence Russell was a shell-shocked veteran of World War I, suffering from what is now called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Russell homesteaded the site in 1931, apparently trying to escape into the quiet of the wilderness environment. In June 1932, however, while visiting another ranch seven miles away at White Rock Springs, he got into a violent argument and shot and killed C.P. “Red” White. He then tried to shoot White’s son, who managed to arm himself and kill Russell first. Although the murder was the subject of some notoriety in Las Vegas for a while, Russell’s story was rapidly forgotten.

The cabin was never officially registered as a homestead and so remained in Federal hands. When the wildlife refuge was created in 1936, the cabin saw some use as a temporary headquarters, or as a base from which the Refuge could be patrolled on horseback. With the construction of the permanent headquarters at Corn Creek, however, it fell into disuse. The cabin wasn’t finally designated a historic site until 1975.