Overview

Whitney Pocket is a popular undeveloped camping and picnic area way out in the desert nestled up against sculpted red-and-white sandstone crags at the foot of Virgin Peak. Humans have a long history here, evidenced by rock art and agave-roasting pits left by the ancients, and cement dams and other structures left by ranchers and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

It is a short hike, perhaps not a hike at all, to the CCC storage room, which was built by the CCC during the Great Depression when the federal government put men to work so they could send money home to feed their families. People really worked for their welfare during those days! The quality of the work is evident in the design and workmanship of the wall.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this area is fairly safe, but hikers should be careful if they decide to scramble on the sandstone crags.

This is wild and remote country 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. It is a big place, but someone will eventually find you if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or two, or even longer on side roads.

While visiting Whitney Pocket, 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.

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

Getting to the Trailhead

Whitney Pocket is located out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about 1.5 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

Drive out to Gold Butte National Monument and follow the paved Gold Butte Road south 21 miles to Whitney Pocket at the end of the pavement. At Whitney Pocket, turn left and drive east on Whitney Pass Road about 500 yards (0.27 miles) to a wide spot on the left (north) side of the road. This is just before the road curves right and dips across a wash. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), this short route runs southeast, across Whitney Pass Road, for about 80 yards to the east side of the large, nearby sandstone crag (the walk is a bit longer if you stay on the road and walk up the campsite access road). The CCC Wall (Wpt. 04) is visible from everywhere on the east side of the rock.

Sometimes people camp adjacent to the store room. Don't hesitate to visit this historic site, but be polite if the campsite is occupied.

When finished here, consider making the short walk back across the Whitney Pass Road to the CCC Dam.

Please take care to protect historic sites like the CCC Store Room Wall. The right half of the wall has stood since the 1930s, but the left half already has been torn down (look for missing pieces of the wall among rocks ringing the fire pits). Let's all make sure that the destruction ends now and that the remaining wall stands for years to come.

Unfortunately, some thoughtless campers use the store room for a toilet. Please help protect this historic site.