Sam Nail Ranch Trail

Sam Nail Ranch Trail is a short, easy loop from a roadside pullout on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive through the Nail homestead and the shaded grove by Cottonwood Creek. The mapped walk measures about 0.35 mile, including the short access leg back to the pullout; the park lists it as a half-mile loop. Allow about 30 minutes, with time to look at the ruins. It is a good pick for a little ranch history and shade without committing to a longer hike.

The rocky dirt path gently descends from the pullout through desert scrub. At the lower end, it reaches the windmill and the shaded oasis, then circles back through the homestead and returns along the short shared access path. Steps occur at both the north and south ends, so this is not a step-free walk. The park describes the path as easy and well maintained.

Sam Nail built a two-room adobe house beside Cottonwood Creek in 1916, where he and his wife raised their family. Look for the weathered adobe walls, traces of the orchard and garden, and a chicken coop shaded by soapberry trees. The remains give this quick loop more to notice than a simple walk through the desert.

At the bottom of the loop, pecan, walnut, willow and soapberry trees shade the route. The old wooden windmill once pumped water to a tank atop Burro Mesa for the Nails' cattle; today, water spills onto the ground and draws birds and other wildlife. The adobe walls and windmill make the most distinctive photo together, with the grove in the frame for context.

The trailhead is the roadside pullout on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, 3.4 miles south toward Castolon. Parking can fill during busy times. Dogs are not allowed on trails in the park.