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Nipton Road - Eastbound
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Mojave National Preserve
Nipton Road - Eastbound
Nipton Road - Eastbound

Overview

Nipton Road is a paved road that connects Interstate 15 in California and Highway 95 at Searchlight, Nevada, passing through the historic town of Nipton along the way.

This road provides access to the Mojave National Preserve and Nipton in California, and the South McCullough Wilderness Area, Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area, and the town of Searchlight in Nevada.

Link to map.

Nipton Road - Eastbound

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about the desert, ... the road is safe and easy in a sedan. While out in the desert, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, the area is remote, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Road

This road is located in California, about 45 minutes south of Las Vegas. From town, drive south on I-15. From Primm, Nevada, drive south 9.5 miles. Exit the interstate onto Nipton Road (Exit 286), which only runs east from this point.

Nipton Road - Eastbound

The Road

From Interstate 15 (Table 1, Site 1008), Nipton Road runs east 3.6 miles to a T-intersection with Ivanpah Road (Site 1264), then continues east, crosses ungated railroad tracks (look both ways!), passes through Nipton, and crosses into Nevada.

Continuing east over the mountains, the road descends past the South McCullough Wilderness Area and the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area (three access points on the left), passes Walking Box Ranch Road (on the right), and ends in Searchlight, Nevada. Technically the road continues across Highway 95 and runs down to Cottonwood Cove in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, but here the road is called Cottonwood Cove Road.

Nipton Road - Eastbound
Cima (and Mojave National Preserve): to the right (view E)
Nipton Road - Eastbound
Approaching Ivanpah Road (view E)
South McCullough Wilderness Area
Hotel Nipton (view E)
South McCullough Wilderness Area
Road access to South McCullough Wilderness Area
South McCullough Wilderness Area
Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area on the left (view E)
South McCullough Wilderness Area
Walking Box Ranch road sign (view W)

Table 1. Highway Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Site Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Elevation (ft) Verified
1008 I-15 at Nipton Rd 640822 3926437 35.47327 115.44788 3,432 Yes
1264 Nipton Rd at Ivanpah Rd 646208 3924862 35.45829 115.38882 2,747 Yes

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240329

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