Backroads Around Las Vegas, Gold Butte
 Scanlon Road, approaching start of Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
Overview Gold Butte Road, northbound, is a 20-mile dirt road that runs from Gold Butte Townsite to Highway 170 and serves as the main exit from this wild and rugged region. The relatively well-maintained road runs through spectacular country and leads to places such as Little Finland, Devils Throat, a variety of primitive campsites, Whitney Pocket, and a whole lot of grand scenery, plus it is part of the Gold Butte Backcountry Byway. The road is described in detail, including a map, from north to south (paved section, unpaved section), but here photos are presented for the dirt-road part of the return, south to north, from Gold Butte Townsite to Whitney Pocket. |
 Sign at junction of Scanlon, Red Bluff Spring, Gold Butte roads |
 Scanlon Road approaching Gold Butte Townsite (view NE) |
 Scanlon Road at start of Gold Butte Townsite Road West (view NE) |
 Scanlon Road at Gold Butte Townsite Road West (view SE) |
 Sign: Respect, Protect, and Enjoy Your Desert (view SE) |
 Scanlon Road at Red Bluff Spring Road (view NE) |
 Red Bluff Spring Road (view NW from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road at Tramp-and-Fork Fire sign (view NE) |
 Tramp-and-Fork Fire sign (view NE) |
 Backside of Gold Butte directional sign (view E) |
 Gold Butte Road at Gold Butte Townsite Road East (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Gold Butte Townsite Road East (view SW) |
 Prospect mounds along Gold Butte Road (view N) |
 Prospect mounds along Gold Butte Road (zoom; view N) |
 Gold Butte Road in valley with granite crags (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Voight Well Road West (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Gold Butte Airstrip Road (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Gold Butte Airstrip Road (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Airstrip Road (view N from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Voight Well Road East (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching cattle guard during winter (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching cattle guard during summer (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at cattle guard during winter (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at cattle guard during summer (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Blackjack Mine Trail, on the left (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 Springtime view down Paradise Valley (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 Trespass Bundy cattle (view N from Gold Butte Road) |
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 Gold Butte Road at Guzzler Road (view E) |
 Guzzler Road (view NE from Gold Butte Road) |
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 Upturned limestone crags (view NE) |
 Upturned limestone crags (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Vermiculite Mine Road, west spur (view NE) |
 Vermiculite Mine Road, west spur (view E from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road at Vermiculite Mine Road, east spur (view NE) |
 Vermiculite Mine Road, east spur (view S from Gold Butte Road) |
 Mica Peak during winter (view S) |
 Upturned limestone crags (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road turning down into Horse Spring Valley (view NE) |
 Horse Spring Valley (view NE from Gold Butte Road) |
 Approaching narrow road and blind curve (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road descending Horse Spring Valley (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Devils Cove Road (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Devils Cove Road (view NE) |
 Devils Cove Road sign (view NE) |
 Devils Cove Road sign (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Devils Cove Road (view NE) |
 More to come ... |
 Gold Butte Backcountry Byway road sign (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Backcountry Byway road sign (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road running down Horse Spring Valley (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Uranium Mine Road (view NE) |
 Uranium Mine Road and campsite (view E from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road running down Horse Spring Valley (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Horse Spring Road right (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road dipping to cross Horse Wash (view NW) |
 Trespass cattle along Gold Butte Road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Horse Spring North Road (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at Horse Spring North Road (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 Ponded water after a storm (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching cattle guard and curve (view NE) |
 Vehicle parked at Paradise Peak Trailhead (view N) |
 Vehicle at Paradise Peak Trailhead (view NW to Paradise Ridge) |
 Gold Butte Road at cattle guard and curve (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road turning surprise curve (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road traversing hillside below surprise curve (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road bends back to the north (view N) |
 Descending past colorful hills (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at washout (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Drill Site Campsite (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road at Drill Site Campsite (view NE) |
 Well casing at Drill Site Campsite (view E) |
 Gold Butte Road can be washed out (view NE) |
 Crossing colorful layers of mudstone (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road crossing red-mud hills (view NE) |
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 Gold Butte Road descending towards the colorful Mud Hills (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching St. Thomas Gap Road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at St. Thomas Gap Road sign (view NW) |
 St. Thomas Gap Road sign (view N) |
 St. Thomas Gap Road sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at St. Thomas Gap Road South (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at St. Thomas Gap Road North (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at St. Thomas Gap Road campsite (view N) |
 St. Thomas Gap Road campsite (view NE) |
 Grader fixing Gold Butte Road (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Mud Hills Corral Road (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Hills Corral Road (view N) |
 Watch for feral burros crossing the road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at a minor side road right (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at minor road right (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at minor side road left (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road passing a carsonite road marker (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Mud Wash Road (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Mud Wash Road sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Wash Road sign (view N) |
 Mud Wash Road sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching backside of Tramp Fire sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Wash Road (view N) |
 Mud Wash Road (view W from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching a parallel road to nowhere (view NE) |
 Parallel Road returning to Gold Butte Road (hard to see northbound) |
 Parallel Road returning to Gold Butte Road (hard to see northbound) |
 Gold Butte Road entering Wechech Basin (view NE) |
 Gold Butte Road entering Wechech Basin (view NE) |
 Always watch for desert tortoise in the road! (view NW) |
 Desert tortoise climbing steep road berm (view SW) |
 Desert tortoise safely across the road |
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 Gold Butte Road approaching Mud Wash North Road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Wash North Road sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Wash North Road sign (view N) |
 Mud Wash North Road sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Wash North Road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at Mud Wash North Road (view NW) |
 Mud Wash North Road (view SW from Gold Butte Road) |
 Continuing past Mud Wash North Road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at campsite (view N) |
 Campsite (view NW from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road at cattle guard (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road (view NE) |
 An incline with a rock sill to bounce over (view NE) |
 Cobblestone roadway (view NE) |
 Fairly smooth roadway (view NE) |
 Approaching the rough patch with several moguls (view NE) |
 A bit washed, but not too bad (view NE) |
 A bit washed, but not too bad (view NE) |
 Whitney Pocket in the distance (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Whitney Pocket (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Whitney Pocket (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Whitney Pocket (view N) |
 Whitney Pocket (view NE from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Rd approaching Whitney Pocket sign (view N) |
 Gold Butte Rd at Whitney Pocket sign (view N) |
 Whitney Pocket sign (view N) |
 Whitney Pocket sign (view N) |
 Whitney Pocket day-use parking (view NW from Gold Butte Road) |
 Gold Butte Road approaching Whitney Pass Road (view NW) |
 Gold Butte Road at Whitney Pass Road (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road just past Whitney Pass Road (view N) |
 Hitting the road on ATVs |
 Gold Butte Road approaching start of the pavement (view N) |
 Gold Butte Road at start of the pavement (view N) |
Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 240326
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