Gold Butte National Monument
Gold Butte is a remote corner of southern Nevada, between Lake Mead and the Arizona border, where red Aztec sandstone rises from Mojave Desert. Rock art panels, sculpted sandstone and old mining sites lie along rough dirt roads, with no services of any kind.
Fast facts
- Established: 2016
- Size: about 297,000 acres (1,200 km²)
- Signature areas: Whitney Pocket, Little Finland, the Falling Man rock art site and Devil’s Fire
- Landscape: where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Plateau
- Gateways: Mesquite and Bunkerville, Nevada
- Managed by: the Bureau of Land Management
The landscape
Red and orange sandstone outcrops, eroded into arches, fins and honeycombs, stand among creosote, Joshua trees and yucca. Little Finland is a field of delicate sandstone fins and hoodoos. Petroglyphs cover boulders at sites like Falling Man, and desert tortoises and bighorn sheep live in the ranges.
Best time to go
Late fall through spring. Summer is extremely hot, often over 110°F (43°C).
Getting there and around
From I-15 exit 112, take Highway 170 south about 3 miles (5 km) to the Virgin River bridge, then Gold Butte Road. The pavement, broken in places, ends at Whitney Pocket after about 21 miles (34 km). Beyond it, roads are rough dirt that needs high clearance and often four-wheel drive.
Things to do
Whitney Pocket, reachable in most vehicles, has sandstone outcrops to explore, rock art and a small dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Falling Man rock art site is a short walk from a rough side road.
Farther in, Little Finland’s sandstone fins and the remote Gold Butte townsite need a capable four-wheel-drive vehicle and a full day, with cross-country walking among the rocks. There are no trails, signs or water.
Staying safe
There is no water, fuel or phone signal; carry extra of everything, including a spare tire, and tell someone your route. Heat is extreme in summer. Sandstone fins are fragile and can break underfoot.
Know before you go
There is no entrance fee and there are no facilities. Camping is primitive and dispersed. Rock art is fragile and protected by law. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report, so confirm road conditions with the Bureau of Land Management before you go.
- Coordinates
- 36.4121, -114.1904
- Magnetic declination
- 10.8° E (2026)
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass
A spread of the park’s main places shows straight away, and the rest appear as you zoom in. You can also search above, or pick any place from the lists below, and the map will go to it. Places in bold, marked , have a short description.
Getting there 1
Park entrance
Sights 24
Viewpoints
Lakes
Heritage site
Points of interest
Peaks 15
Map data comes from third-party sources and may be incomplete or out of date, so carry a current official map (terms).
Looking for one of these closer to home?Destinations near me by trip type →
- Best seasons
- Late fall, Winter, Spring
- Difficulty
- Moderate to strenuous (remote)
- Access / trailheads
- I-15 exit 112, Highway 170 and Gold Butte Road; paved to Whitney Pocket, then high-clearance or 4WD dirt roads.
- Water
- None. Carry all you need.
- Cell / satellite coverage
- None beyond the first few miles.
- Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency
- Emergencies: 911. BLM Southern Nevada District: 702-515-5000.
- Permits & regulations
- No entrance fee. No facilities; primitive dispersed camping.
- Leave No Trace
- Keep vehicles on existing roads, never touch rock art, camp on previously used sites, and pack out everything.
January
February
March
April
May
- Hot days
June
- Extreme daytime heat
July
- Extreme daytime heat
August
- Extreme daytime heat
September
- Hot days
October This month
November
December
What to bring depends on your trip: how long you’re out, where you sleep, and how far you go from the road. The planner builds the list for yours.
Plan a trip here →Averages for 1991–2020 from NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, measured at the Echo Bay station, 15 miles (24 km)24 km (15 miles) away at 1,250 feet (381 m)381 m (1,250 feet). Higher trails run colder, by about 3.5°F for every 1,000 ft (2°C per 300 m)2°C for every 300 m (3.5°F per 1,000 ft) of climb. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th, on the park’s own clock, for a level horizon. Valleys and slopes facing away from the sun are in shade earlier.
Nearby parks
-
Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument
A million roadless-feeling acres on the Arizona Strip above the western Grand Canyon, with no paved roads, no services and total solitude.
-
Snow Canyon State Park
Red and white sandstone cliffs, black lava flows and sand dunes in a compact desert canyon minutes from St. George.
-
Grand Canyon National Park
A mile-deep (1.6 km) canyon carved by the Colorado River, with rim viewpoints and inner-canyon trails.
-
Zion National Park
Towering sandstone walls above the Virgin River in southwest Utah, with Angels Landing, the Narrows and the quieter Kolob Canyons.
Straight-line distance between park centres. Road distance is usually longer.
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