I decided to try my hand at ATV riding and Peak Bagging at Whitney Pocket today near Mesquite, Nevada. Years ago, a former client and National Park Ranger told me about Gold Butte National Monument and highly recommended I give it a visit. Quite frankly, the instructions he gave me made it sound so remote and challenging to get to I didn't explore the idea much further.
Gold Butte’s distances (one way)!
I stumbled on "Whitney Pocket" through an ATV trail riding site, and even then, I didn't make the connection that Whitney Pocket is within the National Monument. I created a temporary map that included a few peaks to climb, loaded the truck, and drove a couple of hours to Mesquite. There are two ways to approach Gold Butte; the first is through Mesquite and go NV-170 to Gold Butte. The second is to remain on I-15 until the junction with NV-170 and follow it back to Gold Butte. The second is faster, I believe, by staying on the freeway and avoiding the town speed limits.
Backcountry Byway of Gold Butte National Monument is rough asphalt to Whitney Pocket
The Backcountry Byway of Gold Butte National Monument is a massive 90-mile loop through the park. It circles through Whitney Pocket, the old township of Gold Butte, and follows the Lime Canyon Wilderness area, border back toward the main Gold Butte road. I certainly didn't plan on driving the entire 90 miles this trip, but I loaded the ATV in anticipation of the dirt road from near the entrance to the local peaks I wanted to climb.
Little Virgin Peak
The ATV was unnecessary as the "Backcountry Byway" was pavement as far as I needed to go. I should have checked Google Satellite because the map showed a dashed roadway which is unimproved. I kept thinking the pavement would end because asphalt is a killer on my quad's knobby tires, but it never did. About the time I would have turned around, Little Virgin Peak came into view, so I decided to reach the summit rather than go further.
Stunning rock and cacti garden worthy of any landscaper’s design
Little Virgin Peak is a stunning desert summit just inside the Gold Butte National Monument boundary. It is a straightforward hike along the ridgeline with a faint trail to follow. An actual peak, the ridgelines all rise to a point with a large summit cairn and summit registration jar waiting to be signed.
Little Virgin Peak summit cairn
Gold Butte National Monument area is massive, and lots of peaks to climb. It is amazing in its mixture of canyons, lava rock, and red sandstone. Further study reveals the area is full of hikes, pictographs, sinkholes, and ATV trails. I'm excited I finally connected the dots and look forward to exploring the area.
Summit view south. Lake Mead in background (picture left)