Overview

The Gentry Ranch area is an interesting place to hike along the banks of the Virgin River, parts of which were underwater when Lake Mead was higher. There is some history here, but it isn't the most exciting place to hike. However, here in southern Nevada, we seldom get the chance to hike along a flowing river on our home turf, so that makes this hike a treat. The early spring wildflowers can be great at this low elevation.

Historically, the Gentry family ran thousands of head of cattle in the Gold Butte area, and this area is marked on some old maps as "Gentry Ranch." However, there do not seem to be any old buildings or remains of other structures that one might expect to find at a spot marked "ranch" on an old map. This area might have been the site of a bridge over the Virgin River, suggested by ground works visible across the river, that could have connected "the ranch" to the old Arrowhead Trail Highway. A gap in the hillside across the river was cut for the old Arrowhead Trail Highway, the first "highway" from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a fairly safe hike, although the trail runs across some craggy cliffs above the river where someone could fall into the water if they tried. Gold Butte is a wild and remote area, and there are no services out there. The access road requires a high-clearance vehicle or a carefully driven sedan.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a remote hike, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

The Gentry Ranch area is located out in the Gold Butte Region at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about 2.5 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From town, drive out to Gold Butte. On the paved Gold Butte Road, the road follows the Virgin River downstream, then turns into the desert and climbs for several miles to cross a saddle between Virgin Peak and Little Virgin Peak. Shortly after the road starts down the other side of the saddle, a well-used dirt road forks off to the right (Table 1, Site 040) at a curve. This point is about 14.2 miles from the start of the Gold Butte Road (Site 020) and about 6.5 miles before Whitney Pockets (Site 060).

From the turnoff, drive southwest and downhill for about 7 miles to a fork in the road (Site 660), bear to the right as the road starts to climb towards Black Ridge. The road eventually turns and heads back towards the river. The road ends at a parking area (Site 690) with a cable fence that is intended to block vehicle traffic. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

After the old engine, the trail runs closer to the water and gets to an old USGS water gauging station (Wpt. 05) that seems in danger of washing away. The station was placed at the site of a historic well or water pumping station.

After the water gauging station, the hillside steepens, and the narrow trail traverses ledges and side slopes above the river. The terrain isn't dangerous, but there is a bit of Class-2 scrambling. Past the hillside, the terrain eases, and one can hike along the river, up on the bluffs, and find narrow little canyons. This is a good place to wander about, see what is out there, and spend some quality time with wildflowers and flowing water.