Dispersed Camping at Gold Butte National Monument

Dispersed camping at Gold Butte National Monument is the perfect way to set yourself up for an awesome adventure! Visit 12,000 year old petroglyph sites, drive the Gold Butte Backcountry Byway, stop at the old mining ghost town, hike to interesting red sandstone formations and immerse yourself in this incredible rugged desert landscape. We can agree that at nearly 300,000 acres there’s a lot to explore. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s find out about the options for dispersed camping at Gold Butte National Monument

Quick Info: Dispersed Camping at Gold Butte National Monument

Cost: Free

Ownership: BLM; 14 day limit

Directions: From Las Vegas, take I-15 N for about 69 miles to exit 112/Riverside Road. Follow Riverside Road south for about 3 miles and just after the road crosses the Virgin River turn right onto Gold Butte Road. We chose a spot after about 7 miles but there are dispersed camping spots before and after the spot that we chose. These are technically not within the monument but continue further and you’ll find there are plenty of dispersed camping spots in Gold Butte National Monument as well.

Solar: Good

Miles From Town: About 10 miles from Mesquite

Water: None

Road Conditions: Gold Butte Road is surprisingly paved! But that does not mean it’s smooth sailing. The pavement is rough with a lot of potholes and is washed out in several spots but can typically be done in a passenger vehicle. BUT – the road conditions can change very quickly with rain.

We saw it first hand during our visit. The road became nearly unrecognizable – a rugged sandy mess. Luckily, several tractors got to work and had it back in decent shape by the end of the day. After the rain, there were definitely parts of the road that were impassable to passenger vehicles and even required 4WD.

Keep in Mind: So with that said about the road, I also want to mention that if there is rain in the forecast be aware of the risk of flash floods. The wash that we camped by became a rushing river during the bout of rain that we got. And it honestly didn’t take that much rain to see the effects.

Cell Service: Depends – we had cell service at our camp spot outside of Gold Butte National Monument but quickly lost all signal as we drove further in towards the monument.

Amenities: There are a couple of porta potties placed at two of the Whitney Pocket dirt lots.

Our Experience Dispersed Camping at Gold Butte National Monument

We’ve encountered some incredible beauty in the surrounding areas of Las Vegas in the past but had yet to wander over to Gold Butte National Monument. Once I realized this area existed and looked into what was here to explore, we were excited to check it out!

When we first turned onto Gold Butte Road, we were surprised to find that it was paved. Well, paved-ish.. It was a pretty bumpy ride as we towed our trailer in search of dispersed camp spots. There were some washed out areas as well as potholes galore but at at least no 4WD or high clearance was necessary! After about six miles or so, we began to notice turn outs and potential spots for dispersed camping. There’s a relatively popular area about seven miles in with numerous camp spots scattered about. And the roads to get to many of them were also in good shape. But always make sure to scout ahead!

Some of these spots were used as group camp spots or even just a staging area. One perk about these dispersed camp spots is that they still have cell service if that’s something you need to consider. These spots are also well spaced out and allow for privacy. And some even have views of the Virgin River. This is where we decided to camp.

But There’s Plenty More

But continue along Gold Butte Backcountry Byway to discover more dispersed camping at Gold Butte National Monument. The road climbs and shortly after it passes a tract of private property, there is another nice camp spot on the right that would be a more solitary spot. As you continue to drive, you’ll notice at least four other side roads or turn offs that are good for camping.

As the road approaches Whitney Pocket, there will likely be more traffic. This is a very beautiful and popular stop in Gold Butte National Monument. Here you’ll find several dramatic red sandstone formations that beckon to be explored. And around these formations, there are parking areas, an info board, porta potties, and numerous camp spots. This is probably the most popular site for dispersed camping at Gold Butte National Monument. And it is located near an intersection that sees a lot of OHV activity.

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If you camp near Whitney Pocket, there will likely be many other campers plus day use traffic. But there are some really cool spots by these awesome rock formations! And this is a good distance into the monument to set up a home base and dive even deeper. Or just a scenic spot to relax and enjoy the outdoors.

As the backcountry byway continues, so do the opportunities for dispersed camping. We noticed that there are some gorgeous spots out in the direction of Little Finland as well. These spots were more spaced out and allowed for more privacy then the spots at Whitney Pocket. Plus there was plenty of adventure in this area of the monument as well.

Little Finland is about as far into the monument that we went on this first visit to the area. But the byway continues much further and offers even more dispersed camping as well as more opportunities for exploring Gold Butte.

Thanks for Reading!

One of the best parts of living on the road is finding a great camp spot and having the opportunity to explore the beauty of a new area. And Gold Butte National Monument was a memorable landscape full of adventure! If you’d like to read about some other dispersed camp spots on the more adventurous side, check out the links below:

• Camping and Climbing at Indian Bread Rocks
• Exploring and Camping near Needles, CA
• Camping on Rabbit Ears Pass
• Camping and Exploring the Flat Tops Wilderness

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