Overview

Cherry Creek Road is a well-maintained dirt road that normally is suitable for 2WD vehicles. The road runs across Garden Valley between Water Gap (Golden Gate Range) on the east and Cherry Creek (Quinn Canyon Range) on the west. The road continues into the Quinn Canyon Range, passing ranching families and summer houses, the historic townsite of Adaven, and a small campground, and then exits over the mountains into Railroad Valley.

Link to Area Map or Road Map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ...this road is pretty safe, but be sure that your vehicle is in good working condition, carry plenty of water (radiator and drinking), and pack a lunch. Always drive carefully; even though the road is well maintained, there are occasional hazards such as errant boulders in the roadway and mud puddles after heavy rains.

When the road starts into the Quinn Canyon Range, parts are narrow with precipitous drop-offs and blind corners, and one spot has a one-lane bridge, so drive extra carefully in that area. There are more blind corners up the canyon.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This road goes into remote areas, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials. Cell phones don't work.

Getting to the Road

Cherry Creek Road is located in the west-central part of Basin and Range National Monument, about 3 hours (150 miles) northeast of Las Vegas driving directly, or about 1-1/2 hours (50 miles) north of the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 318.

From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate-15 21 miles to Highway 93. Turn left onto Great Basin Highway (Hwy 93) and drive north past the towns of Alamo (95 miles from Las Vegas) and Ash Springs (102 miles) to the intersection of Highways 93 and 318 (107 miles). Gasoline is available in Alamo, Ash Springs, Rachael, and Lund.

Turn left onto Highway 318 and drive west then north on Highway 318 for 17.4 miles to Seaman Wash Road on the left. Turn onto Seaman Wash Road and drive northwest 26.5 miles to a fork in the road (stay "straight" at all forks and side roads to this point). At the fork, stay right and cross to the other side of the valley where the road forks again (broad, triangular intersection). Stay left onto Cherry Creek Road. Timber Mountain Pass Road goes in the other direction.

The Road

From the three-way intersection with Seaman Wash Road and Timber Mountain Pass Road (Table 1, Site 1560), Cherry Creek Road runs west heading out of Water Gap and into Garden Valley.

The road passes three low hills in the left. Between the first and second, the Heizer Ranch can be seen in the distance -- watch for a stand of tall cottonwood trees. To the left and right of the trees, the upper-most portions of Michael Heizer's City, a land art sculpture, can be seen spreading across the landscape.

The third hill, Lovers Leap (Site 1561), provides an overlook from which hikers (0.2 miles) can look across some 1.7 miles of Great Basin desert and see City in the distance. Be sure to bring binoculars.

Beyond the last hill, Cherry Creek Road descends a gentle grade to a road intersection (Site 1562; 2.2 miles out). Here, Heizer Ranch Road turns left and runs 0.6 miles to a gate: the closest that the public can get to City. The gate is more than a mile from City, but apparently within rifle range from the ranch buildings.

Continuing, Cherry Creek Road curves right to run north along the base of the Golden Gate Range. At about 3.0 miles out, the road crosses a cattle guard, then curves left and away from the mountains.

The road now runs more-or-less straight northwest towards Cherry Canyon in the Quinn Canyon Range. There are a few minor side roads, but at 9.4 miles out, Cherry Creek Road passes the northern terminus of Mail Summit Road on the left (Site 1594), which can be followed back to the pavement just north of Hiko. Watch for a highway sign with distances that might be lying down in the dirt.

Shortly, Cherry Creek Road forks (9.8 miles out). Here, the obvious direction, straight, is not the way to go: that road is gated ahead. Instead, Cherry Creek Road bends right to run due north for about 1.4 miles. At 11.2 miles out, Cherry Creek Road bends to the left at a triangular T-intersection (Site 1596) with Sunnyside Road. Sunnyside Road, to the right, runs northeast and eventually reaches Highway 318.

Now going southwest, Cherry Creek Road runs straight towards Cherry Canyon. Just before entering the mountains, a side road forks to the left (12.7 miles out). This is the other end of the gated road bypassed earlier (gated on this end too). Continuing straight, Cherry Creek Road winds up into the canyon traversing high, steep hillsides and crossing a one-lane bridge (12.9 miles out) that spans a rockslide area. Use caution here, and know that if you meet another vehicle, you might need to back down the road.

Past the narrow bridge, the road runs down into the bottom of Cherry Canyon and runs up Cherry Creek Valley. At about 13.2 miles out, the road exits Basin and Range and enters the Humboldt National Forest (Site 1597), a land of many uses, which is marked with a sign. The valley bottom is ranching territory, with pasture lands, summer homes, ranch houses, and even some old mines.

The road winds along the north edge of the valley bottom until it forks. The road to the left leads to a private ranch, and a sign directs "Thru Traffic" to stay right. Cherry Creek Road stays right, then bend left and climbs steeply over a ridge only to drop back into the valley bottom on the other side of the ranch property.

The road continues up the canyon running between the fenced sheep pasture and the steep mountain hillside. At about 16.6 miles out, the road passes the historical townsite of Adaven (Site 1598), a town remembered not for what is there (currently 2-3 modern buildings), but for the fact the name is "Nevada" spelled backwards. The ranch was homesteaded by Thomas Sharp in the 1870s, and the property remains in the Sharp family.

Past Adaven, the road narrows considerably for some distance, but by about 1.5 miles past Adaven, Cherry Creek Road reaches Cherry Creek Guard Station, a small U.S. Forest Service ranger station outpost. This likely was used to stash fire fighting gear in the old days, but all that remains is a picnic area (two tables and a fire ring) and an old outhouse that doesn't look safe to enter.

In another 0.2 miles, a side road to the left leads up Sawmill Canyon to a small (2 campsites) campground with cliffs, trees, and a small stream.

Cherry Creek Road continues, and during summer, visitors can cross the Quinn Canyon Range and drive over to Railroad Valley.