Backroads Around Las Vegas
 Barbed-wire gate (Site 1100; view NW) |
Overview The Crystal Wash Main Access Road provides access to the Crystal Wash Main Rock Art Site. The road is a fairly good, 2WD, two-track road that should be suitable for a carefully driven sedan during dry conditions. The BLM and Lincoln County opened this area to the public, and Lincoln County printed a brochure with information about the site (including GPS coordinates) as part of their Get Primitive tourism campaign. Download the brochure from Lincoln County or snatch a copy here. Link to Map. |
 Access Road goes left (view NW) |
Location Crystal Wash Main Access Road is located beyond the Pahranagat Valley about 110 miles north of Las Vegas on Highway 93. From town, drive north on Interstate 15 to US Highway 93 (Table 1, Site 0674). Exit onto Highway 93 and drive north past Alamo and Ash Springs to the intersection of Highways 93 and 318 (Site 0677). Continue on Highway 93 for 4.06 miles to a large dirt parking area on the left (north) side of the road (Site 1099).
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 Right turn (Site 1101; view N) |
In the dirt parking area, a barbed-wire gate (Site 1100) blocks the access road. Open the barbed-wire gate, drive through, and close it behind you. Stay left and proceed 100 yards to a T-intersection (Site 1101). Turn right and follow the two-track road to a parking area (Site 1102), which is just before reaching the broad, sandy wash in the bottom of the valley. The sign-in register is adjacent to the parking area. Park here; this is the Crystal Wash Main Rock Art Site trailhead. |
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At the T-intersection (Site 1101) 100 yards past the barbed-wire gate, stay straight on another fairly good road to an old shepherd's (my guess) long-term campsite that may have been in use from the 1040s to 1960s. The road continues past the historic camp area to a large bladed area that would be big enough to park 25 RVs. |
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Two-track road with a low hump in the middle. Most of the road is fairly smooth. Rocks in the road are small, but some probably should be moved by people driving sedans. |
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Parking at the end of the road (Site 1102). A spur road to the right runs a few yards into a sandy wash. It is likely that driving in the wash is illegal. |
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Parking at the end of the road (Site 1102). Most of the rock art is on boulders in the distance (about 1/4 mile) beyond the jeep. |
Table 1. Highway Coordinates based on GPS data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.
| Site # | Location | UTM Easting | UTM Northing | Latitude (N) | Longitude (W) | Elevation (ft) | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0674 | I-15 at Hwy 93 | 689188 | 4028063 | 36.38091 | 114.89089 | 2,232 | Yes |
| 0677 | Hwy 93 at Hwy 318 | 657363 | 4154834 | 37.52891 | 115.21911 | 3,831 | Yes |
| 1099 | Crystal Wash Main Turnoff | 662810 | 4157094 | 37.54832 | 115.15699 | 4,225 | GPS |
| 1100 | Crystal Wash Main Gate | 662794 | 4157154 | 37.54887 | 115.15715 | 4,211 | GPS |
| 1101 | Crystal Wash Main Fork | 662720 | 4157198 | 37.54928 | 115.15798 | 4,204 | GPS |
| 1102 | Crystal Wash Main Parking | 662487 | 4158033 | 37.55684 | 115.16044 | 4,138 | GPS |
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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© 2012 Jim Boone; Last updated 110510
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