OVERVIEW

The Gold Butte Region, administered by the BLM and the U.S. National Park Service, is located about 2 hours east of Las Vegas between the Overton Arm of Lake Mead and Grand Wash (just over the border into Arizona). The Gold Butte Region is wild and remote with high peaks, low valleys, grand views, lots of history, mixed up geology, and huge solitude.

Activities in the Gold Butte Region include hiking, horseback riding, ATVs on legal and illegal roads, camping, sightseeing, and fishing along Lake Mead and the Colorado River. The geology of this sandstone-limestone-granitic-metamorphic faulted-twisted-contorted-eroded land, while nearly impossible to comprehend in total, is stunningly stark and beautiful. Three major ecosystems (Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert, and the Colorado Plateau) meet here, providing for a varied and diverse flora and fauna.

Much of the Gold Butte Region is relatively low desert (the elevation of the lake surface is about 1,200 feet), and temperatures often are about 10 degrees higher at the lake than they are in Las Vegas. In these areas, dry-land activities generally are restricted to the cooler months (e.g., October through May). There are, however, high mountains (to 8,075 ft) provide a respite from the heat.

GETTING TO THE GOLD BUTTE REGION

Link to map.

Getting to the Gold Butte Region.

The Gold Butte region is located at the northeast end of Lake Mead and includes a large block of land outside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This wild and remote country offers outstanding wilderness experiences, but make no mistake, this is wild and remote country where you are on your own. Be prepared to take care of yourself out there.

To get to the Gold Butte region from Las Vegas, drive east on Interstate-15 for about 70 miles to Highway 170 (Exit 112 towards Bunkerville) (Table 1, Site 010), which is about 5 miles before the town of Mesquite. Turn right onto Highway 170 and drive south for about 3 miles to the Virgin River Bridge.

Cross the bridge and immediately take a hard right turn onto the paved Gold Butte Road (Site 020). Watch for a sign to Meadowland Farm. The slope of the road makes the turn look like a pullout rather than an intersection. Follow the paved Gold Butte Road southwest along the river until it abruptly turns southeast and leaves the river (Site 030) just past the Meadowland Farm. Stay on the rough paved road for another 14 miles and follow it until the pavement ends (Site 059) just before Whitney Pocket (WP) (Site 060). At Whitney Pocket, the dirt road forks; continue straight on the graded-dirt unpaved Gold Butte Road or turn left onto Arizona Road.

From Whitney Pocket, continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for 7.0 miles to the Devils Throat turnoff (Site 070). Take the time to go see Devils Throat; it's only 0.25 miles out.

HOURS

The Gold Butte Region is always open.

There are no concessions (e.g., no food, no marinas, no boat tours, no gasoline, no nothing) in the Gold Butte Region.

ENTRANCE FEES

Free.

CAMPING

Car camping out in the Gold Butte Region is unregulated. There is, however, a popular camping area at Whitney Pockets. When camping, be sure to choose an existing or low-impact site and practice your Leave-No-Trace skills.

Backpacking is unregulated, so backcountry permits are not required. When backpacking, be sure to choose a low-impact campsite and practice your Leave-No-Trace skills.

WATCH OUT

Other than the standard cautions about hiking in the desert, ...this area generally is safe, but there are many old mines and this is wild and remote county, so even under the best of circumstances, help would be long in coming. Given that, exercise extra caution when hiking and give yourself a little wider margin of safety. Don't push it.

SOME RULES AND REGULATIONS

This is BLM land, so there are few regulations. However, vehicles are restricted to designated road and trails; Pack it in, pack it out; and don't mess with the rock art or other historical artifacts in the area.

For details on these issues and other information, visit the Lake Mead website. Maps are available online.