Overview

Red Bluff Spring Overlook campsite is a quiet, undeveloped campsite way out in the desert in the middle of Gold Butte National Monument on a bluff overlooking Red Bluff Spring. Bitter Ridge towers above, while the cliff below drops into Mud Wash.

There is no water, and there are no toilets, no trash cans, and no picnic tables. Bring what you need and take it home when you leave. There is truck parking a couple of miles west on Interstate-15 where campers can dump trash without taking it back to Las Vegas.

This campsite, suitable for a 4WD pickup camper or two, is located on sandy backroads that offer plenty of privacy. The camp area is small, so it is suitable only for one party. This is a scenic place to visit and commune with the scenery of this wild and rugged region.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a wild and remote area without services of any kind (no restrooms, no water, no gas, no food). Bring what you need to survive. Be prepared and be self-reliant. Someone will find you eventually if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or two. Cell phones only work along parts of the paved road.

Be careful near the edge of the bluff in the dark, and don't go sleepwalking!

While visiting Gold Butte National Monument, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a remote area, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials, even if you leave them in the car.

Be sure to bring trash bags to clean up after people who care less about wild places than you do.

Getting to Red Bluff Spring Overlook Campsite

Red Bluff Spring Overlook campsite is located out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about of 2-1/2 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From Las Vegas, drive out the paved Gold Butte Road 21 miles to Whitney Pocket. Continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for 3.9 miles to a signed intersection with Mud Wash North Road.

Turn right onto Mud Wash North Road and continue 3.2 miles southwest to a Y-intersection with Mud Wash Road. Stay right onto Mud Wash Road and continue generally west for 5.1 miles until the road abruptly turns left to exit Mud Wash up a side canyon to the south. For drivers who miss the turn exiting Mud Wash, the wash is fenced a few yards farther.

The fence is intended to keep cattle and feral burros from trampling sensitive marsh vegetation at Red Bluff Spring. Unfortunately, vandals have cut the fence to allow vehicle passage, but please keep vehicles out of this area.

Exiting Mud Wash, the road name changes to Red Bluff Spring Road. Driving south on Red Bluff Spring Road, the road climbs out of Mud Wash to the bluffs above. Reaching the top of the hill (Site 1627), Red Bluff Spring Overlook Road forks hard to the right. Drive north about 110 yards to the end of Red Bluff Spring Overlook Road (Site RBS-camp1).

Red Bluff Spring Overlook Campsite

Red Bluff Spring Overlook campsite is a quiet place out towards the end of Mud Wash. The site sits on a bluff overlooking the wash, so it could be a good place to watch for desert animals coming and going to the wash at dusk and dawn.

This area is a good kick-off point for ATVs following some of the 500 miles of open road in Gold Butte National Monument. Rough roads lead in all directions and drivers can head out and make a long or short loops back to camp.