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Cabin Canyon Road
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Gold Butte National Monument
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Lime Kiln Canyon Road at Cabin Canyon Road (view SE)

Overview

Cabin Canyon Road is graded dirt road off Lime Canyon Road southeast of Mesquite. The road runs across the open bajada and into Cabin Canyon on the north side of the Virgin Ridge, providing access to the high-elevation and cool northeast corner of Gold Butte National Monument.

This road provides access to the old White Rock Campground, lots of primitive campsites, hikes, hunting, horseback riding, twisted geology, miles of dirt roads, a couple of tiny springs, and grand views north across Mesquite and out towards the Mormon Mountains.

Link to map.

Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road stays right along powerlines (view SE)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ... this road is pretty safe lower down (out to about the campground), but parts in the upper sections are narrow and rocky enough that 4WD is useful, but it should be safe. Be careful on blind corners.

This is a wild and remote area without services of any kind (no restrooms, no water, no gas, no food). Bring what you need to survive. Be prepared and be self-reliant. Someone will find you eventually if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or two. Cell phones work along lower parts of the road.

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

Cabin Canyon Road

Getting to the Road

Cabin Canyon Road is located about 1-1/2 hours east of Las Vegas, in the wild, remote, and scenic Gold Butte National Monument south of the town of Mesquite.

From Las Vegas, drive out Interstate-15 to Mesquite. Take Exit 120 onto Falcon Ridge Pkwy/W Mesquite Blvd, drive straight through the round-about, and continue 0.8 miles to a traffic light at Riverside Road. Turn right onto Riverside and drive south 1.1 miles, just across the Virgin River, to White Rock Road, on the left.

Turn left onto White Rock Road and drive east, then southeast for 1.1 miles to where the pavement curves left to become Scenic Road. Here, at the bend, Lime Kiln Canyon Road continues straight southeast onto the dirt. Continue southeast on Lime Kiln Canyon Road for 2.1 miles to a cattle guard. Just past the cattle guard, the road forks. Cabin Canyon Road bends right following the powerlines heading due south.

Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching directional sign (view SSE)

The Road

From the intersection with Lime Kiln Canyon Road (Table 1, Site 1862), Cabin Canyon Road runs south-southeast heading up the bajada towards the Virgin Mountains. Following the powerline, the road runs 2.6 miles to a short side road (Site 1864) on the right that leads to a municipal water tank (visible from Mesquite) and a cell tower. Access to this facility explains why the road is well maintained to this point, but beyond the water tank, the roads narrows and degrades.

Continuing up the bajada, the road narrows from two lanes to one, but the road is still in fairly good condition. At about 3.8 miles out, the road crosses to the west side of the Cabin Canyon Wash and runs up another wash following hills on the right; surprisingly, this is not Cabin Canyon Wash.

At 5.1 miles out, Cabin Canyon Road passes an obscure side road (Site 1865) to the right. This road, Low Road, stays in the canyon bottom and is easier to see after passing it and looking down the hillside to the right.

Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at directional sign (view SE)

Cabin Canyon Road climbs rather steeply, and then at 5.4 miles out, passes High Road (Site 1866) on the right. High Road climbs onto the ridge to the right, but eventually connects with Low Road, and together, they run back down ridges towards Mesquite.

Just past High Road, Cabin Canyon Road climbs onto the ridgeline and drops somewhat steeply to cross Cabin Canyon Wash again (5.7 miles out) at a point where there is a striking limestone ridge on the right and an historical corral on the left (only a few fence posts remain). Although not obvious at this point, a narrow side road, Indian Ridge Road (Site 1867) runs east from the corral. This road, which crosses Indian Ridge into Arizona, serves as the boundary of Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast corner.

Beyond the corral, the boundary of Gold Butte National Monument follows the left side of Cabin Canyon Road for 0.4 miles. During this time, the road passes a major side canyon on the right. This is Hen Spring Canyon, and it separates Bunkerville Ridge (north) from Cabin Spur Ridge (south).

Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SSE)

At 6.1 miles out, Hen Spring Road (Site 1868) branches to the right. Hen Spring Road is a narrow and difficult road, but it serves as the northeast boundary of Gold Butte National Monument.

Beyond Hen Spring Road, Cabin Canyon Road fully enters Gold Butte National Monument and more closely follows Cabin Canyon. At about 6.5 miles out, the road passes an enormous white boulder on the right shoulder of the road. Unfortunately, vandals like to spray paint this boulder -- please don't do this because other people have to come and clean it.

Just beyond the boulder, the road crosses Cabin Canyon Wash, which can be Cabin Canyon Creek in the spring, and passes the entrance to White Rock Campground (Site 1869), on the right. Not much of the campground remains, but there are some campfire rings, a couple of crumbling concrete picnic tables, and a large concrete pad.

Cabin Canyon Road

Beyond White Rock Campground, Cabin Canyon Road runs up into Cabin Canyon, proper, which quickly becomes quite narrow, and the road either runs in the wash or tucked tightly between the wash and cliffs.

At about 7.6 miles out, Cabin Canyon Road passes an obscure fork to the left where Taglo Mine Road (Site 1870) drops into the wash. Taglo Mine Road is passable in short-wheel-base vehicles, but it is not for the faint of heart.

Continuing, Cabin Canyon opens up a bit and bends gently to the right. In this area, Cabin Canyon Road remains comfortably above the wash, and at 8.2 miles out, arrives at a major fork (Site 1871). Here, Cabin Canyon Road stays right even as the more heavily used road (Silverleaf Mine Road) stays left (straight).

Staying right, Cabin Canyon Road heads northwest following Cabin Canyon, proper. In another 0.1 miles, the road forks again (Site 1872), and Cabin Canyon Road continues northwest following Cabin Canyon, proper.

Cabin Canyon Road

Unfortunately, Cabin Canyon Road degrades almost immediately and becomes an ATV road. For the next 0.8 miles, the road follows the wash in the narrow canyon bottom. Flash floods over the years have turned up many boulders, and trees in the narrow canyon make turning around difficult. Beyond 0.8 miles, the road is somewhat better, but still difficult in anything other than an ATV.

Back at the fork in the road (Site 1872), the left turn runs south onto a large, flat landing area with a large concrete pad that probably was the floor of a mine building. This seems to be a popular campsite.

The road continues south across the landing area and connects with Silverleaf Mine Road, which runs up the canyon about 0.7 miles to Silverleaf Mine. This road is best left to ATVs and hiking boots.

Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at directional sign (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Approaching municipal water tank and tower (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at spur road to water tank (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Campsite opposite water tank facility (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Past water tank, Cabin Canyon Road narrows (view SSE)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SSE)
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road runs below hills (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road runs up into a shallow canyon (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at Low Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road starting up a hill (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road climbing somewhat steeply (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road climbing somewhat steeply (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at High Road just below ridgeline (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road atop ridgeline (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road descending into the next canyon (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Water on roadway after very wet winter (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Dry roadway after grading (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at turn into historical corral area (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Indian Ridge Road marks the boundary of Gold Butte NM (view E)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at historical corral (view E)
Cabin Canyon Road
Side road to nowhere (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Side road to nowhere return to main road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Approaching wash crossing when dry (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Approaching wash crossing when wet (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Much of the road is in good shape ... (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
... but parts are washed and rocky (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching Hen Spring Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at Hen Spring Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Hen Spring Road (view W from Cabin Canyon Road)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at Gold Butte boundary sign (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Gold Butte National Monument boundary sign (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Gold Butte National Monument boundary sign (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road continues (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching Cabin Wash with water (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching Cabin Wash dry (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at another side road to nowhere (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching enormous white boulder (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
The "white rock" of White Rock Campground (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Just past enormous boulder, camp is visible across wash (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Crossing Cabin Wash at camp entrance (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Looking up Cabin Creek (view SE from Cabin Canyon Road)
Cabin Canyon Road
White Rock Campsite with white rocks (view NE)
Cabin Canyon Road
White Rock Campsite (view E)
Cabin Canyon Road
Exiting White Rock Campground (view SE)

Upper Cabin Canyon. Beyond White Rock Campground, the road is narrower and is more subject to washouts.

Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road passes the campground (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Those rocks were on the road not long ago (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road enters narrow canyon (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Parts of the road are pretty easy (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at Taglo Mine Road (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Taglo Mine Road (view SE from Cabin Canyon Road)
Cabin Canyon Road
A small population of Arizona Cypress on the left (view S)
Cabin Canyon Road
Winding up Cabin Canyon (view SW)
Cabin Canyon Road Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching fork (view W)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road approaching fork (view W)
Cabin Canyon Road
Silverleaf Mine Road (view S from Cabin Canyon Road)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road stays right (view NW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road (view NW)
Cabin Canyon Road
Cabin Canyon Road at fork to landing (view W)
Cabin Canyon Road
End of easy Cabin Canyon Road (view W)
Cabin Canyon Landing
Turning left onto the landing area (view SE)
Cabin Canyon Landing
Cabin Canyon Landing with concrete slab (view SE)
Cabin Canyon Landing
Concrete slab on Cabin Canyon Landing (view SE)
Silverleaf Mine Road
Departing the Landing area (view SE)
Silverleaf Mine Road
Silverleaf Mine Road stays left at the landing (view SE)
Silverleaf Mine Road Silverleaf Mine Road
Silverleaf Mine Road
Turning back down Silverleaf Mine Road (view NE)
more to come
More to come ...

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)
1862 Lime Kiln Road at Cabin Canyon Road 762378 4071428 36.75416 114.06101 2,118
1864 Cabin Canyon Road at Water Tank Road 763115 4067256 36.71640 114.05420 2,800
1865 Cabin Canyon Road at Low Road 762181 4063530 36.68311 114.06593 2,943
1866 Cabin Canyon Road at High Road 762175 4063175 36.67992 114.06612 3,646
1867 Cabin Canyon Road at Indian Ridge Road 762238 4062767 36.67623 114.06556 3,710
1868 Cabin Canyon Road at Hen Spring Road 761987 4062204 36.67123 114.06855 3,688
1869 Cabin Canyon Road at Cabin Canyon Campground 761828 4061571 36.66558 114.07054 3,826
1870 Cabin Canyon Road at Taglo Mine Road 762303 4060234 36.65341 114.06570 4,367
1871 Cabin Canyon Road at Silverleaf Mine Road 761875 4059460 36.64656 114.07074 4,658
1872 Cabin Canyon Road at Landing Road 761756 4059491 36.64686 114.07206 4,690

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240326

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