Overview

IN PROGRESS

Devil's Cove Road is one of the side roads off Gold Butte Road that provides 2WD, high-clearance vehicle access to the wild and rugged Gold Butte mountains east of Gold Butte Townsite, but requires 4WD to access Lake Mead. The road runs east into the mountains and winds up to Summit Pass. From there, the road descends canyons to Lake Mead. In a narrow, rocky canyon, the road is badly washed out and may be impassable in anything bigger than an ATV.

Link to area road map or regional road map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a bad road in 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. A BLM Ranger patrols the area, but it is big country out there. Someone will find you eventually if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or more on side roads.

While out, 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.

Getting to the Roadhead

Devil's Cove Road is located out in the Gold Butte Region northeast of Lake Mead, about 2 hours northeast of Las Vegas.

From Las Vegas, drive out to Gold Butte. From Whitney Pocket (Table 1, Site 060), drive south for 16.5 miles to Devil's Cove Road (Site 090).

The Road

From Gold Butte Road (Site 090), Devil's Cove Road angles away to the left and heads east and up into the mountains with some grand views off to the east. The road eventually turns south and runs over Summit Pass, then starts down towards Lake Mead. Most of the road is fine for driving, but in a narrow, rocky canyon, the road washed out during the floods of 2005. I have heard recently that the road still is scary enough to cause a desert rat driver in a 4WD truck to back out, turn around, and abandon the road.

If you know differently, let me know.