Overview

Whitney Pocket is a popular undeveloped camping and picnic area way out in the desert nestled up against sculpted red-and-white sandstone crags at the foot of Virgin Peak. Humans have a long history here, evidenced by rock art and agave-roasting pits left by the ancients, and cement dams and other structures left by ranchers and the Civilian Conservation Crops (CCC).

It is a short walk, or not a walk at all, to the CCC storage room, which was built by the CCC during the Great Depression when the federal government put men to work so they could send money home to feed their families. People really worked for their welfare during those days! The quality of the work is evident in the design and workmanship of the wall.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this area is fairly safe, but the Gold Butte Region is a wild and remote area, and there are no services of any kind.

While visiting Whitney Pocket, 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.

Be sure to bring trash bags to clean up after people who care less about wild places than we do.

Getting to the Trailhead

Whitney Pocket is located out in the Gold Butte Region at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about 2 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

Drive out to the Gold Butte Region. From Las Vegas, drive east on Interstate-15 to Highway 170 (Table 1, Site 010). Exit towards Bunkerville, cross the Virgin River, turn right onto the paved Gold Butte Road (Site 020), and follow it to Whitney Pocket (Site 060). At Whitney Pocket (Site 060), turn left and drive east on the Arizona Road for about 600 yards to a side road to the right (south). Turn onto the side road and drive up into the camping area (Site 408). Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 01), walk southeast for about 250 feet to the east side of a sandstone outcrop (the walk is a bit longer if you stay on the road). The store room wall is visible from anywhere on the east side of the rock.

Sometimes people camp adjacent to the store room. Don't hesitate visit the store room, but be polite if the campsite is occupied.

When finished here, consider making the short walk across the Arizona Road to the CCC Dam.

Please take care to protect historic sites like the CCC Store Room. This structure has stood since the 1930s, and we hope that it stands for years to come.

Unfortunately, some thoughtless campers tore down part of the wall for stones to make a fire ring. Please, don't let this happen again. History can't remake itself.