Gold Butte National Monument is a hidden gem just 2 hours east of Las Vegas. It is remote, rugged and absolutely beautiful.
Why you Need to Explore Gold Butte National Monument
Gold Butte National Monument was our favorite hiking trip during our time living in Las Vegas. We had already explored the main staples – Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead – and were looking for a new adventure. We were traveling around Lake Mead when we noticed another area that we hadn’t explored. After doing some research and stumbling across BirdAndHike.com, we knew we had to go.
If you want to avoid the crowds, see unique landscape, and get into a rugged adventure (no cell service, poor roads) – there is no better place than Gold Butte!
We only saw 2 people all day on a Saturday which is unheard of if you go to National Parks nowadays that have crowd control mechanisms in place.
Important Tips for Exploring
Before I get too deep into why you need to visit Gold Butte National Monument, here are a few tips. It’s not super easy to head out here because of how remote and cut off the area is, but it is definitely worth it if you are willing to put the effort in.
- High Clearance Vehicle: In order to fully explore Gold Butte, you need a good high clearance vehicle. A 4×4 is recommended but our Subaru Outback also made it.
- Spare tire: A spare tire is a good idea. There are not that many people out here and if you do get into trouble – you are on your own.
- Offline Maps: Directions are very poor and the trails are not well marked, if at all. I recommend downloading Gaia GPS, which has better offline maps than Google Maps.
- Bring everything you need: Gold Butte is very remote. There are no stores, gas stations or amenities once you are in the park. Bring all the water, food, waste bags, etc. that you need.
- There is no cell service! Be prepared. Text a friend to let them know where you are going.
Where is Gold Butte National Monument?
The closest airport to Gold Butte is Las Vegas. It looks fairly close to Vegas but because of the dirt roads, it can take around 2 hours to get there, and even longer if you are heading to trails inside the park.
Gold Butte is right north of Lake Mead and also to the east of Valley of Fire. Because Lake Mead and the Valley of Fire are so popular, Gold Butte often gets overlooked. If I wasn’t on my phone scrolling around my map, I personally would have missed it!
When should I visit?
Like most hikes around Las Vegas, you can go year-round but it gets VERY hot in the summer. Because Gold Butte is so remote, I would recommend going between October and April to avoid the heat.
It’s definitely doable from May to September but I would watch the temperature and bring gallons and gallons of water. I personally almost never hike with my dogs if it is over 90 degrees.
Best Hikes in Gold Butte
If you are only spending 1 day here, these are the 3 hikes I would recommend.
Whitney Pocket
Whitney Pocket is right when you enter the park. You will see a lot of rock formations similar to Valley of Fire here – without the crowds. There is a lot to explore here and you will be on a trail for about less than a mile before it disappears into the vast landscape.
We really enjoyed our afternoon here looking at the unique rock formations and of course our dogs loved it!
The trailhead for Whitney Pocket is here and is about 40 minutes from when you exit the highway.
The Falling Man Petroglyph
We personally didn’t make it all the way here because we were a little short on time with wanting to explore Little Finland and having a late start, but the falling man petroglyph is exactly what it sounds like! You start at the same trailhead as Whitney Pocket so if you have time I definitely recommend going here.
Bird And Hike has great directions on how to get here.
Little Finland
Little Finland in Nevada – in case the name is confusing – is one of the most unique hikes in Gold Butte National Monument. The first part of the hike looks like it is snowy (maybe that’s where Little Finland comes from?) and then it leads up to crazy rock formations carved from years of wind.
The hike itself is not a super long hike, it maybe took us 20 minutes to get there, but there is not really a trail and you need to do a lot of route finding.
The Little Finland Trailhead is here, and can take up to 2 hours to drive there on the dirt road
Is Gold Butte National Monument dog friendly?
Yes! The entire area is super dog friendly. Because Gold Butte is so remote, please make sure your dogs are under control and be respectful of the environment!
There are no trash cans, no poop bags, so plan accordingly.
Recommended Gear FOR Gold Butte National Monument
Because Gold Butte is fairly rugged, I definitely recommend packing more than you normally would. At the very least, having this stuff in your car will give you peace of mind in case you run into trouble – this is little to no cell phone service in the entire area.
Hiking Boots / Shoes
Having the right shoes is super important. Whether you like lighter shoes like I do or a sturdier hiking boot, Hoka One One and Salomon are my go-to products.
Sun Protection
Sun protection is super important out at Gold Butte! There is some shade under large rocks but not a lot. You can also be out here for miles so it’s important to be prepared! Here are some of my favorites
Food!
Level Foods has been my new go-to bar. I found that their bars have been better on my stomach. They are Gluten free, Dairy free, Non-GMO.
Water Storage
I personally prefer using an MSR Drom Bag because I’m fairly lazy to take water bottles out of my bag, but both options are great. Make sure to bring plenty of water on your trip
Have you been to Gold Butte National Monument Las Vegas before? What did you think?
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