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Very Important: The driving directions to this site have not been updated since late 2006 There is an excellent chance that the roads and/or road conditions have changed significantly. Contact the BLM, Forest Service, Park Service or whomever, to get the most up-to-date road and trail information. |
All coordinates and/or mileage are approximate
Keyhole Canyon Archaeological Site: Recommend high clearance 4WD
Points of interest:
I would recommend high clearance 4WD.
Keyhole Canyon is a Miocene granite outcrop located in the Eldorado Mountains and is visible from Hwy 95.
There are no fees and no hours of use for the area.
There is no official camping area, although you will see the remnants of campfires.
This area is also used by rock climbers.
Monday thru Friday is probably the best time to visit because there are fewer people to contend with.
Most cell phones will not work.
There are snakes and critters at certain times of the year so watch where you step and place your hands.
Distance from the cattle guard (highway) to the site is approximately 4.1 miles.
Getting there:
When traveling south on Highway 95 heading towards Searchlight Nevada, and once you have passed the Nelson cutoff, start watching for mile marker 41. At approximately .6 (6 tenths) of a mile past (south of) mile marker 41, on your left as you are heading south (east side of the road), you will see a white metal cattle guard. Turn left (east) at the cattle guard. Note: This is apparently a well used off-road area because there is a left-turn lane on the southbound side of Hwy 95 so that you do not have to cross the median illegally.
If you are traveling north on Hwy 95 from Searchlight, watch for mile marker 40, and approximately .4 (4 tenths) of a mile past (north of) mile marker 40 on your right (east side of the road) you will see the white metal cattle guard. Here you will turn right and head east.
Cross over the cattle guard heading east on the dirt road. You well see a set of 3 high voltage towers approximately 2.0 miles ahead of you. Cross under the first set of high voltage lines and continue heading towards the second set (coordinates below). Between the second and third towers you will see another dirt road. Turn right (south) on that dirt road. In approximately 1.7 miles you will see tower number 23E3 on your left. About 50' beyond the tower is a road going to your left and straight towards Keyhole Canyon. Follow that road a short distance to the parking area.
The petroglyphs are concentrated at the entrance of the canyon, but also extend to the left and right of the canyon mouth. Look up high and at eye level - they are everywhere. The longer you look the more you will see.
The first 2 miles of the road after you cross the cattle guard is washboard , but after you turn on to the power line road it gets better. I would NOT take a passenger vehicle on this trip but at the time of this writing a 2WD vehicle with adequate clearance should be sufficient.
Warning and covering my butt statement: There are many small drainages and 2 dry washes that cross your route into Keyhole Canyon. As everyone is aware, Southern Nevada roads conditions can change rapidly. What is a good road today can be a major 4WD mess tomorrow.
All mileages and coordinates given on this web site are approximate.
Use common sense and caution when following any directions. If it does not look right, don't do it.
Disclaimer to keep my butt out of the proverbial wringer: Check with multiple sources to make sure all your information is up-to-date and accurate. Do not rely on only one source (such as our web site) to be the final word. Contact the BLM, Forest Service, Park Service or whomever, to get the most up-to-date road and trail information. Things can, and do, change very rapidly in the desert due to road construction, flash flooding, and other natural and/or man-made causes. Do the prudent thing and check before you venture out. Also please view the information on our "A Few Tips for Hiking in the Desert" page.
GPS Coordinates:
Turn off of Hwy 95 at Cattle Guard: 35d 44.657' 114d 57.342'
Right turn under towers: 35d 44.590' 114d 55.145' - looking towards Keyhole
Left turn at tower number "23E3": 35d 43.131' 114d 55.784'
Picture at the right is from the tower looking towards Keyhole
Parking area : 35d 42.939' 114d 55.591'
Coordinates for Keyhole Canyon: 35d 42.876' 114d 55.522'
If you observe any damage or vandalism occurring at a site, please call the BLM Resource Protection hotline (800) 722-3998. All of us need to help take the responsibility to protect our public lands. If we don't, more and more public areas will be closed and none of us wants that. Help by being a "steward" of the site that you are visiting.
| Click here to view Keyhole Canyon Petroglyphs on our other web site | |
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The weather below is from the closest town or city
| Click here for weather information in the vicinity of Keyhole Canyon |
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