Whitney Pocket and Arizona Road

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This page last updated on 11/22/2019

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Directions: From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate-15 for about 70 miles to Exit 112 (Highway 170 to Bunkerville). This exit is about 5 miles south of (before) Mesquite. The official Gold Butte Backcountry Byway starts on the Interstate 15 off-ramp. After leaving the I-15 and driving south for approximately 30 miles on Gold Butte Road, a roughly paved road that climbs steadily to an elevation of 3,100 feet, the pavement ends at a location called Whitney Pocket (Fig. 01) where it passes through a break in the mountains. The picture in (Fig. 01) was taken directly in front of the crevasse leading to the Whitney Pocket Dam.

Area Description: The Whitney Pocket, located at the base of the Virgin Mountains is a palette of sandstone color. ‘Whitney” is the surname of an original landowner; "Pockets" is due to the pockets of red Aztec sandstone that has been exposed by the erosion of the lower fringes of the Virgin Mountains. This grouping of yellow, tan and rusty red sandstone outcrops exhibit unusual erosion patterns full of cave-like holes and bowls throughout the monoliths. Rainwater that pools in the depressions here has been a valued resource for desert travelers going back in time as far as early Native Americans (the Anasazi). However, today, after years of relative drought, there is virtually no signs of water anywhere. The area is best know for the Whitney Pocket Dam. Between 1933 to 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) built a concrete dam on the north side of the road at a crevasse in the sandstone in an attempt to catch water. There is a pipe with a water flow turn on/off that leads underground from the base of the dam to a livestock watering trough near the mouth of the crevasse. For pictures of this area visit the page ... Whitney Pocket at Gold Butte.

A nearby cave, in a Aztec sandstone monolith opposite the dam, was walled in by the CCC (Fig. 03). Parts of the walls are now disintegrating rapidly and a sign urges the public to assist in conserving what remains. In spite of CCC and cattlemen’s efforts to harvest the scarce water supplies, this region does not favor successful ranching. The summers are unbearably hot and often the winters are quite harsh. The area contains CCC artifacts, along with native petroglyphs, though I have yet to find any evidence of their civilization. The dirt road this is known by several names: Whitney Pass Road A.K.A. Arizona Road and Ney Ranch Road. See the map in (Fig. 02) below. This road is about six miles from the CCC Store Room to the Arizona border.

(Fig. 02)

11/14/2019 Trip Notes: Today Jim Herring and Bob Croke and I decided to visit Gold Butte Whitney Pocket and travel the length of Arizona Road, and a couple of its several side roads, into the state of Arizona. As we had all been here before, we decided not to climb up to the dam. We concentrated on exploring the area of the CCC storage room opposite the dam (Fig. 03) and the Dynamite Bunker (Fig. 07). They were both built by the CCC, the same people who built the dam. During the Great Depression the federal government put men to work so they could send money home to feed their families. The right half of the wall has stood since the 1930s, but the left half already has been torn down by thoughtless campers who don't know how to respect these ancient remains. The pictures in figures 04, 05 and 06, show the detail of the remaining wall (Fig. 04), a view of the vent hole from inside the room (Fig. 05), and a large cave-like area in the sandstone directly above the storage room (Fig. 06). 

To the left, out on the far edge of the sandstone crag, a natural hole in the sandstone was modified and fitted with a heavy metal door. It is said that this was used as a dynamite bunker. All that remains is the hole, a bit of concrete (Fig. 07), and part of the door hinge (Fig. 08). In all of our searching around the outcrops here none of us found any petroglyphs, even though I have seen pictures of petroglyphs on the Internet. (visit notes continued below)

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Visit Notes Continued: After exploring this area we started our drive east on Whitney Pass Road. Whitney Pass Road, also called Arizona Road and Ney Ranch Road, runs from Whitney Pocket east over the mountains and down into Arizona, climbing some 2,000 feet in 4.5 miles to Whitney Pass. Refer to the map in (Fig. 02). Along the way, the road passes through vegetative elevation zones where different species of desert plants grow. Near the middle of Whitney Pass Road, the vegetation is diverse. From the dry desert area at Whitney Pocket, the road ascends through several vegetation communities (zones of increasing precipitation and changing vegetation) to Whitney Pass at about 5,000 feet in the Pinon-Juniper Woodland Zone. The Whitney Pass area is vegetated with a thick and diverse assemblage of shrubs, buckhorn cholla, and pinyon pine. In 2006 230 acres burned, killing many trees. Referring to the map in (Fig. 02) you can see the several roads branch off this road. The first road we drove up was Virgin Peak Road. A few miles up Virgin Peak Road the valley narrows and eventually arrives at the Whitney Coral (Figs 09 thru 12). Arriving at an the old corral there is a large water tank to the rear of the site (Figs. 13 & 14). If you click on the picture in (Fig. 13) you can see Bob Croke who climbed up the small ridge behind the tank. There were two pipes that led into the top of the tank to fill it from the natural springs above. There was a spicket (Fig. 14) at the base of the tank that controlled the water to the coral found below. To the right of the tank there was an old vehicle (Figs. 15 thru 18). A plaque on the door jam was a plate that indicated that the truck was a GMC (Fig. 17). This area is an interesting place and we spent nearly an hour exploring it and taking pictures. The road was a bit rocky in places, but it generally was a good road. From here we backtracked to the Arizona Road. The next road we drove up was Cabin Spring Road off to the left. Again refer to the map. When we got to the end of this short road which climbed up several hundred feet, there was no cabin, however there was a great view looking all the way back to lake mead (Fig. 19). You can see lake mead better in the center of (Fig. 19A). (Visit notes continue below)

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Visit Notes Continued: Just a few miles after taking a left at the fork, we ended up driving into Arizona (Fig. 20). If we followed this road for more than 25 miles we could have ended up in Mesquite, but we would have had to go through the mountains and without the aid of any maps to guide us, we decided not to risk it and turned around after driving in the desert for 5-6 miles. On the way back we took a short road that led us to an old abandoned house, that at the time it was built, was quite extensive (Fig. 21). The picture in (Fig. 22) shows the front entryway; (Fig.23) is looking at the house from the rear; (Fig. 24) is of the coral on the right side of the property. It was on a large property surrounded by nice views like in (Fig. 25). This picture is the view they they would have had looking out their front window. Obviously they had a couple of natural springs and had build a large pool for holding water. Even though it was still receiving a "trickle" of water today, it was mostly dried up (Fig. 26). The pictures in (Figs. 27 & 28) show an underground room to the right rear of the house that good have been used as a storage room for keeping things cool. (Fig. 29) is at the rear of the property. This large "balancing" rock could be seen as we drove through the desert areas surrounding the property. As we approached the house, Jim captured a picture of a woodpecker working on the nearly dead tree in front of the house (Fig. 30). After we got back to Whitney pockets we had lunch in one of the camping areas. While eating lunch we noticed a Mojave Green Rattlesnake just a few feet from where we were eating (Fig. 31). The rocks containing some shell fossils in (Figs. 32 & 33) were behind the water tank at the Whitney Coral. All in all we found it to be an interesting day.

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View some of the links in the page ... Gold Butte National Monument

Visit to Gold Butte National Monument - Trip Notes for 03/14/2018

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This page last updated on 03/18/2018

(Fig. 01) Whitney Pocket

03/14/2018 Trip Notes: On this day, Harvey Smith and I took Bob Croke and Jim Herring to four sites that neither of them had ever been do in Gold Butte; Devil's Throat, Mud Wash Petroglyphs, Kirk's Grotto and Little Finland. The map in (Fig. 02) shows the roughly 40 miles miles we had to travel in order to reach these locations. Before we can ever get to take any of the beautiful pictures in Gold Butte, such as the landscape taken at Whitney Pocket in (Fig. 01), the parking lot and staging area for our day of off-roading, we have to 'load up' all the equipment (Fig. 03) needed to get to some of the desolated sites scattered around the Gold Butte National Monument. Referring to the map, we departed from Whitney Pocket and headed south on the graded dirt road the Devil's Throat. This spot was very disappointing due to a four and a half foot high chain linked fenced, several feet back from the edges of the 'hole' that prevented anyone from taking into the hole. Even though there was a fence the last time I was there, it was much closer. For pictures, see my previous page for this site ... Devils Throat - Gold Butte. From here we traveled west to Mud Wash Road. From this intersection we headed southwest for a few miles to the site of the Mud Road Petroglyphs. The picture in (Fig. 04) shows the five panel locations of petroglyphs. I think Bob Croke figured out why I hadn't noticed one of these on my previous visit (Fig. 04a).  For more pictures, see my previous page for this site ... Mud Wash Road Petroglyphs. After leaving this site we continued down and around the corner of the wash until we came to a road the left the wash and switched back its way up to a mesa that overlooked Mud Wash Road. Looking northwest is showed a good view of Bitter Ridge in the distance. (Fig. 05). This road followed the wash for a while and then turn to the west (refer to the map) until it intersected Backcountry Byway. We then turned to the left and then veered to the left and headed southeast to Kirk's Grotto. (Con't below)

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Trip Notes Continued: Once we reached the parking area and trailhead for Kirt's Grotto (Fig. 06), we hiked down the fairly steep road that leads to the area below. On the way to the actual grotto area, we passed several petroglyph panels on the cliffs on the right that I'm not sure I noticed on my previous trip here (Fig. 07). For more pictures and detailed description on Kirt's Grotto, see my previous page for this site ... Kirt's Grotto. After a picnic lunch in the shade of the grotto we spotted a large Chuckwalla Lizard climbing way up on the side of the cliff (Fig. 08). After touring this area we retraced out tracks back to the Backcountry Byway. Before heading northwest up the byway towards the Mud Wash Road and the road to Little Finland, we stopped to capture this shot of the landscape vista ahead of us (Fig. 09). Finally we reached Little Finland, probably one of my most favorite spots in all of Gold Butte. We climbed up onto the mesa that stretches for nearly a half mile. Unfortunately, by the time we reached this area the winds picked up considerably; the blowing dust and the late time of day forced us to cut short our photo taking opportunities. In spite of this I was able to still capture dozens of outstanding pictures (Figs. 10 - 14). For more pictures and detailed description on Little Finland, see my previous page for this site ... Little Finland Gold Butte. By the time we got back to Whitney Pocket, reloaded all the equipment and drove home, it was nearly 7:00 pm. Even though it was a long day, everyone really enjoyed.

                                   

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Return to the Gold Butte summary page ... Gold Butte National Monument - Summary Page.

Gold Butte National Monument - Summary Page

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This page last updated on 03/26/201

(Fig. 01) Kirt's Grotto Area

Directions: From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate-15 for about 70 miles to Exit 112 (Highway 170 to Bunkerville). This exit is about 5 miles south of (before) Mesquite. Travel on 170 (West Riverside Road) approximately 2 miles to New Gold Butte Road, also known as the official Gold Butte Backcountry Byway) on the right. There is a large parking area on the left. New Gold Butte Road follows southwest along the Virgin River before turning southeast away from the river. The northern boundary of the National Monument (Fig. 02) starts approximately ten miles in on this road. As you can see on the map below, the eastern and southern boundary of the Monument is bordered by the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the western boundary is bordered by the state of Arizona.
                                   

(Fig. 02) Map of Gold Butte National Monument

Gold Butte Description: Due to the relatively recent designation of Gold Butte as a National Monument, I have had to completely revise and update all of my pages related to the Gold Butte area. Though I have used the term "Gold Butte", the north eastern portion of Clark County, as the whole area. Technically, "Gold Butte" is the name of a ghost town and a nearby mountain peak in Clark County, Nevada. Both are now protected as part of the Gold Butte National Monument (Fig. 02), managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Gold Butte, the mountain, is 5,013 feet high and rises 1,280 feet above the town of Gold Butte. This peak lies within the Virgin Mountains and its name apparently refers to the Gold Butte Mining District.

Gold Butte National Monument Background: On December 28, 2016, President Obama designated Gold Butte as a National Monument. Gold Butte, This area is home to countless cultural, historic, and natural wonders that make this area so unique and are now preserved for future generations. For decades, many Nevadans have been working to protect the nationally significant cultural, historic, and natural treasures in Gold Butte. The new Gold Butte National Monument, filled with brightly hued sandstone, covers nearly 300,000 acres of remote and rugged desert landscape in southeastern Nevada, and provides a stunning canvas for the area’s famously chiseled red sandstone rock art, and the desert provides critical habitat, twisting canyons, and tree-clad mountains that punctuate desolate stretches of the Mojave Desert. Permanent protection of the National Monument will provide greater protection to numerous wildlife species, including desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep, the banded Gila monster, great horned owls and a great variety of reptiles, birds and mammals. It will also safeguard Gold Butte's abundant archaeological resources, including rock art, caves, agave roasting pits and camping sites dating back at least 3,000 years.

Gold Butte National Monument Description: Created on December 28th, 2016, Gold Butte National Monument contains nearly 300,000 acres of unspoiled Mojave Desert landscapes on the north side of Lake Mead, creating a continuous corridor of protected land that extends eastwards from the NRA across to Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in Arizona, and onwards to Grand Canyon National Park (Fig. 02). The monument is approximately rectangular, 30 by 15 miles in size, encompassing, in its northern reaches, the southern end of the Virgin Mountains, which rise up to 7,946 feet (Virgin Peak), but the rest of the land is much lower in elevation, a mix of small hills and ridges, and wide desert plains sloping westwards to the lake and eastwards towards the Colorado River. The majority of the exposed rocks are relatively dull in appearance, limestone and granite, in places partly metamorphosed, but in some places the brightly colored Aztec sandstone is exposed. The outcrops are mostly bright red while some have shades of pink and yellow, and they form a variety of eroded formations. The sandstone is also notable for the many petroglyph panels which were etched onto the smooth cliffs and boulders by the Paiute peoples, up to 3,000 years ago, and it is the rock art, plus other associated ancient sites, that was one of the main factors in the national monument designation.

       

Page Notes: Because I have been here on no less than eight times, updating these pages has been a daunting task. Because the area is so uniquely beautiful, it is nearly impossible to select a single picture (Fig. 01) to be representative of Gold Butte. This is just one of hundreds I selected of pictures I've taken over the past several years. In addition to some background on the designation of Gold Butte as a National Monument, Description and History of the area, this page is a summary page with links to all of the trips and areas that I have visited here over the past five years. NEW: Article by the New York Times, dated 07/25/2017 on Trumps reassessment of the Gold Butte National Monument ... Gold Butte Nevada - Antiquities Act National Monument. NEW: Recent recommendations by Ryan Keith Zinke, the current United States Secretary of the Interior recently issued recommendations to Donald Trump to reduce the size of the Gold Butte National Monument.  since 2017, in the Cabinet of Donald Trump ... Shrinking of the Gold Butte National Monument.
                                
Description and Brief History of Gold Butte Region: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway is a 62-mile scenic drive that starts at exit 112 on the I-15, just south of Mesquite, Nevada, and heads south into a wild and rugged area known as the Gold Butte Region. The Gold Butte Region is administered by the BLM and the U.S. National Park Service. The byway is divided into four sections: (1) Gold Butte Road (rough paved road), (2) unpaved Gold Butte Road (rough graded road), (3) Red Bluff Spring Road (sometimes graded), and (4) Mud Wash Road (two-track in a sand and gravel wash). Refer to the map below (Fig. 03). Each of these scenic roads provides grand scenery as they pass through some of the most vast, wild and remote pristine desert wilderness found anywhere in Nevada. The geology of this sandstone-limestone-granitic-metamorphic faulted-twisted-contorted-eroded land, while nearly impossible to comprehend in total, is stunningly stark and beautiful. Three major ecosystems (Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert, and the Colorado Plateau) meet here, providing for a varied and diverse flora and fauna. The Virgin River (Fig. 04) is seen peacefully flowing alongside the first several miles of the byway as it follows many low valleys that stretch down to the edges of Lake Mead’s Overton Arm. Its eastern boundary boarders Arizona and is dominated by Virgin Peak, towering 8,000 feet above the desert floor. Pretty much everything worth exploring on Gold Butte can begin at the Whitney Pockets (junction). For one thing, it's at the end of the pavement! For another, roads go in all directions. Lastly, it makes a great base for a picnic or overnight camping. Driving the entire byway requires a 4WD, if only for insurance on Mud Wash Road, and will provide lots of history, some unique geology, and will take more than a full day.

Gold Butte is 360,000 acres of desolate, rugged mountains, Joshua tree and Mojave yucca forests, outcroppings of sandstone, and braided washes that turn into slot canyons. The area of Gold Butte is named for the historic mining town and tent city of 1,000 miners in the early 1900’s. Driving to the end of the unpaved Gold Butte Road, you end up at the remains of the historic mining town of Gold Butte. This town was established in 1908 to service the many mining operations in the area. The town once boasted of a store, hotel, stable, and post office. Long abandoned, the ghost town of Gold Butte provides glimpses of early pioneer history, ranching and mining. Other areas of Gold Butte contain dozens of examples of Native American cultures rich in history. Petroglyph carvings etched into the rocks indicates that three separate Native American cultures once settled here. Mormon colonizers settled in the Mesquite and Bunkerville area in 1877.

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(Fig.04) Virgin River

LOG of VISITS to GOLD BUTTE 03/14/2018 Trip Notes: Today, Harvey Smith, Bob Croke, Jim Herring and I returned to Gold Butte with the goal of showing Devil's Throat, Mud Wash Petroglyphs, Kirt's Grotto and Little Findland to Bob and Jim of whom neither had ever been too. Here is the post I mad for today's visit ... Visit to Gold Butte - Trip Notes for 03/14/2018.           04/25/2017 Trip Notes: Today, Harvey, Bob Croke, Jim Herring and I again returned to Gold Butte to for Jim and I to check on our assigned sites as stewards of the NSSP. While on this visit we went to the CC Dam at Whitney Pocket, the Black Butte Dam and the 21 Goats petroglyphs. Scroll down and use the provided links to visit these sites. 11/18/2016 Trip Notes: Today, Jim Herring and I returned to Gold Butte to make more detailed reports on the three sites we had been assigned as stewards. Scroll down and use the provided links to visit these sites. 11/13/2016 Trip Notes:  Jim Herring and I met with Michele Betty, Tom Cluff and Betty Conway, Gold Butte regional site coordinators for the Nevada Site Stewardship Program. During this visit they took us to and assigned us three sites to monitor as stewards for the NSSP. 10/22/2015 Trip Notes:Today I made another visit to the Falling Man Rock art site and the dam at Whitney Pocket with the rock-hounds from the Henderson Senior Center. On this visit we had a rear tire "blowout" that delayed out return home by nearly two hours. Scroll down to the appropriate links below for pictures and information on these two hiking locations. 06/10/2015 Trip Notes: Today Harvey Smith and I attempted to locate Kirk's Grotto and Little Finland. Scroll down this page to the sections titled Little Finland and Kirk's Grotto and click the links found there to see pictures and get a description of visits to these two locations. 03/05/2015 Trip Notes: The objective of today's trip was to re-visit the "Falling Man" petroglyph site. Scroll down this page to the section titled Falling Man Rock Art Site and click the link found there to see pictures and get a description of today's hike.                    01/09/2015 Trip Notes: Today Harvey Smith and I drove all the way down to the ghost town of Gold Butte. This journey included brief stops at Whitney Pockets and Devil's Throat along the way. Though there isn't much left to see at the Gold Butte town site, hiking the area and visiting some of its old mines certainly provided an idea of what it must have been like to work and live here more than 100 years ago. Page down and click the provided links to the above mentioned places for pictures and more information. Even though this was our third visit to the Gold Butte Region, it only made us realize that there is still much more to see and explore here.                       09/30/2014 Trip Notes: Since our first visit here, I have been looking forward to this return visit for some time now. Research of the area since my last visit has indicated that Gold Butte is one of the richest petroglyph sites in the state of Nevada. Today Harvey and I attempted to locate the Khota Circus Petroglyph site and the 21-Goats site. Check below for links to pictures and descriptions on each of these sites. Unfortunately, there is so much to see here, we ran out of time before finding Kirts Grotto, Babe's Butte, or the Lollipops Petroglyphs.

02/05/2014 Trip Notes: After leaving the highway and crossing the Virgin River, you end up turning right onto a narrower, undulating, un-signposted road (the Gold Butte Byway) that passes by several farms (Fig. 03), irrigated fields and orchards (Fig. 04) run along the river, which flows through quite a wide valley. It is then about 15 miles until you reach the area known as Whitney Pockets. This was our first time visiting this area, and even with detailed maps, we took a wrong turn that cost us nearly an hour of travel time. As most of the roads here are unmarked, driving around without maps of the area is suicide. From my study of the area, there are what I consider several sites of interest that are definitely worth exploring. They are: Falling Man Site, Black Butte Dam, Whitney Pockets, Little Finland, Devils Throat, and the Gold Butte Town Site. On today’s visit we only had time to visit three of these locations, and even then, time limitations kept us from exploring some of them in the manner to which we would have liked. NOTE: In order to keep this page down to a manageable size, where applicable, I have provided links to separate pages with pictures and detailed descriptions.

GOLD BUTTE Sites Visited by Title Whitney Pockets: Located about 20 miles in, at the end of the paved road, this area has several high mounds rising starkly above the flat plains of the Mojave Desert. There is a large parking and camping area here, making it a perfect staging place for dropping ATV’s and beginning a day of exploration. Click here for pictures and to learn more about this area ... Whitney Pocket at Gold Butte.

Falling Man Rock Art Site: This site is a fascinating petroglyph gallery that is filled with dozens of petroglyphs. If you look carefully, you may even find some agave roasting pits and a prehistoric campsite. Walking into the Falling Man panel, people might now notice rock art on the crags along the trail. The trail is only about 0.3 miles, but the last bit of the route requires an easy scramble among the rocky sandstone crags. Off the beaten path, the farther you go and the more you look, the more rock art you find. Click here to visit ... Falling Man Site at Gold Butte.

                                                                      

Black Butte Dam: Though you can hike to Black Butte Dam  from the Falling Man Site, the easier and shorter way is to travel south on Black Butte Road to 21 Goats Road. From the end of 21 Goats Road it is only a short hike to the dam. This dam was built by cattlemen years ago. Over the years the reservoir had begun to fill up with sediment, but it still holds back a fair bit of water during a heavy rain. Click here to visit ... Black Butte Dam at Gold Butte.

Sheep Panel or 21 Goats Petroglyphs: Heading south from the Falling Man Site on Black Butte Road, you will come to a sign indicating “21 Goats Road” is on the left side of the road (Fig. 04). About 1,500 feet down this road you will come to a barrier preventing any further vehicle travel. This is the trailhead for the 21 Goats Petroglyphs. Less than 200 feet beyond the trailhead you will see a side trail that leads south across the wash. This trail will take you to the Black Butte Dam. Continuing straight up the main road for about .4 miles will take you to the 21 Goats Petroglyph site. Click here to visit ... Sheep Panel at Gold Butte.
                         

Khota Circus Petroglyphs: Access to this trail head is about 5 miles off the pavement and require a four-wheel drive. The Kohta Circus Petroglyph Panel is the largest panel in Clark County, Nevada. It is 75 feet long and 4 feet tall. It also includes a smaller panel on a wall high above the main panel. The Kohta Circus rock writings span a 80-foot flat rock wall that has many different types of drawings that display a variety of possible interpretations. With big-horned sheep, strong-looking men, men with bow and arrow pointing at big-horned sheep, curving lines and even a footprint shape, all suggest some sort of deeper meaning beyond what many see as “art”. As LaVan Martineau states in his book, “The Rocks Begin to Speak,” “… It’s not art, it is information about the things that are important to the people.” Martineau also carefully reminds his readers that reading rock writings that were written by and for the people from cultures not like our own may be difficult – if not impossible. Click here to visit ... Kohta Circus at Gold Butte.

Lollipops Petroglyphs: "Lollipops" is the name for a set of petroglyphs that look like, well, Lollipops – a circle with a line drawn out of it. These are difficult to locate, however, There are some other quite unique petroglyphs on the cliffs; a 0.6 mile hike along a sandy trail from the trailhead. To get to the trailhead, run about 0.5 mile up the trail from Mud Wash to the BLM post and cable barricade. The hike to the glyphs is through sand, sometimes fairly deep, but is otherwise quite flat and along the base of some nice, deep red cliffs.

Mud Wash Road Petroglyphs: Not 100 yards further along the Mud Wash road (Fig. 11), down from the Lollipops trailhead turn-off, there is an alcove in the northwest rock wall where massive amounts of either water or wind has worn a protected wall and allowed it to be covered with Desert Varnish. Native Americans then covered it with rock art. These Mud Wash Petroglyphs are probably about the most easily accessible glyphs on the butte and well worth spending some time at and photographing. They can be easily missed coming from this direction unless you are on the lookout for them. On the rock wall to the south, about chest height, is a brass geological survey marker. Click here to read about this location ... Mud Wash Road Petroglyphs at Gold Butte.

Kirk's Grotto: Kurt's Grotto is located about 2 miles off of Backcountry Byway in the middle of the Gold Butte region. From the trailhead, it is down at the bottom of the cliff's before you and through the break in the rocks. The grotto from here, is about a half-mile down the drop-off, between the two sets of cliffs. Once at the bottom, the trail is fairly flat and leads around to the right. There are ancient petroglyphs all along the cliffs in this area. Click here to read about this location ... Kirk's Groto at Gold Butte.
                                  

Little Finland, a.k.a. Devil's Fire: Heading even deeper into the back country, around an hour or so from Whitney Pocket, off the 4x4 Muddy Wash Road is an area known as Little Finland. It is a bizarre red sandstone landscape with intricate sculpted sandstone figures, formations and a spring oozing out of the rock. There are even palm trees which appear to grow right out of the sandstone cliffs. On today’s trip we were unsuccessful in reaching this location, and will have to make a return trip in the future. Click here to read about this location ... Little Findland at Gold Butte.
                               

Devils Throat: Devil's Throat is an interesting, if somewhat disconcerting, geological feature where the roof of a large limestone cave collapsed, leaving a huge sink hole in the middle of the open desert. Click here for more pictures and info about this location ... Devil's Throat at Gold Butte.

Gold Butte Townsite: Nearly 40 miles from the highway, you’ll come to the townsite for the historic mining town of Gold Butte, which was established in 1908. It supported the many mines of the area. Miners here extracted copper, gold, lead, and zinc from Gold Butte (the mountain) for several years. Unfortunately, the veins played out long ago. The Gold Butte Townsite is an interesting place to visit and commune with the mining and ranching history of this wild and rugged region. For the day, it was a full-service town with a post office and everything. Today, the area is littered with evidence of mining, including a deep near-vertical shaft, old equipment, the remains of old mills, and cement foundations, but all of the buildings are gone. Click here to see today's pics ... Gold Butte Town Site at Gold Butte.