All mileages and coordinates given on this web site are approximate.  Use common sense and caution when following any directions.

Just off of I-15 a short distance south of Mesquite, NV and about two hours northeast of Las Vegas lies the region of Gold Butte.  This area encompasses about 350,000 acres of open land, but with the growing population in southern Nevada and southwest Utah, it has become a very popular place for off-roading enthusiast and hikers.  Now because of a handful of careless ATV'ers and "organizations" claiming to be the social conscience for all of us, many of the legitimate trails are being closed.  The upside of this is that as long as you are a strong hiker, ride a horse or mountain bike nothing will be closed off to you.  Just ignore the ATV tracks that you are seeing in the new restricted areas; at least YOU and I are doing the right thing.

In Gold Butte you will find everything from cultural resources dating back to over 4,000 years, great hiking and wildlife viewing, intriguing geological formations, remote and undeveloped camping, and yes, even the remnants of a 20th century ghost town.  This area has a lot to offer and that is why it has become so popular.  My advice is that if at all possible, visit the area during the week vs. weekends and you will find plenty of solitude and beauty without the hordes of people.

A few really important items

• Remember that there are no facilities of any kind in the Gold Butte region, so have plenty of gas, food, and water.  If you are traveling north on I-15, the last "highway-close" gas is in Glendale / Moapa, and if traveling south on I-15, it is in Mesquite.  This is not the type of area, especially during the summer, where you can play macho and think that because you have a quarter tank of gas and a pint of water, you'll be fine.  The temperatures in the summer can reach 115 degrees and it can snow in the winter, so come prepared. 

• As you probably already suspected, cell phones do not work in the Gold Butte region. 

• Driving Conditions:  You can take a standard passenger vehicle or low clearance SUV all the way to the end of the pavement with little or no problem.  A few of the dirt roads are also accessible by passenger vehicles, but they can deteriorate very rapidly.  For safety, I strongly recommend a High Clearance / 4WD vehicle once you get off the pavement.

• Have good tires.  Even on the graded dirt roads there are a lot of sharp rocks and blown tires are not that uncommon (I speak from experience on this one).

• The total miles from I-15 to the Town Site of Gold Butte, with no side trips is approximately 42 miles one way.  The first 21 miles are on pavement, and the remainder is on graded dirt.

• To state the obvious, err on the side of caution and be safe, especially if you have small children with you.  Make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition and you have plenty of gas and water.  Please see our "Desert Survival" pages on this web site.

General getting there information - All waypoints (W/pt) are listed on the appropriate maps.

Take exit 112 (Riverside / Bunkerville) off of I-15.  At the bottom of the exit you will travel in a southerly direction on Hwy 170 (Riverside Road) for approximately 2.9 miles to the bridge over the Virgin River.  A short distance after the bridge take the first right turn, and then stop.  This is the intersection of New Gold Butte Road and Riverside Road (photo below).  Zero your mileage here.

At the time of this photo there wasn't a street sign visible, but you should see the two signs pictured below: one for Meadowland Farms and the other for Bundy Melons.  Turn right here, and you are now on "New Gold Butte Road" (W/pt #001)  Zero your mileage here.

During the first few miles of the road you will see ranch and farm lands, and the Virgin River will be off to your right.  Also, you might come across the occasional cow, horse, or a child waiting for the school bus on your side of the fence line, so watch your speed.

Left Photo: Mile 10.1 (W/pt #002) - Juanita Springs Ranch - The ranch is not visible from the road, but you will see about a dozen or so Palm trees near the road.  Right Photo: The hills in the distance are where you are heading.  The pavement will end in about another 10 miles (W/pt #003) and about a mile before that is the turn for the Whitney Hartman Petroglyph Site (W/pt #007).  A word of caution: Looking at the road ahead you will be tempted to haul butt, but be careful as the road is loaded with potholes, and uneven and broken pavement.

The photo was taken while standing near the edge of New Gold Butte Road about 3 or 4 miles before reaching the turn for Whitney Pockets 2 and 3, and Whitney-Hartman.  The left arrow is pointing to Whitney Pockets 2 and the right arrow is pointing to Whitney Pockets 3.

A note regarding the maps:  On most of the maps you will see two red lines indicating the exact same road, sometimes crossing and other times paralleling.  The brighter and slightly wider of the two lines is the actual track (road) as recorded by my GPS.  The reason for the discrepancy can be either an error in the production of the map or possibly the information pulled from the satellites by the GPS.  This is one of the reasons why I strongly advise using a combination of mileage, maps, and the GPS.

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.