Overview

Bills Spring Campsite is a quiet undeveloped campsite way out in the desert on flats between limestone mountains (Tramp Ridge complex) to the north and granite mountains (Gold Butte Peak and Mica Peak) to the south. Views north stretch between ridges to Virgin Peak.

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 pickup camper or two, is located on backroads between Gold Butte Road and Devils Cove Road, offering 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 history and 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.

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 the Bills Spring Campsite

Bills Spring Campsite is located out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about of 3 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From Las Vegas, drive out the paved Gold Butte Road to Whitney Pocket. Continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for 16.5 miles to Devils Cove Road (Table 1, Site 0797), a major fork to the left.

From there, continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for 1.3 miles to the unmarked Vermiculite Mine Road (Site 1696), on the left. Watch for two gaps in the fence that parallels the road in this area and carsonite designated-road signs.

Turn left onto Vermiculite Mine Road and drive south about 300 yards to a side road left. Turn left and drive east about 0.2 miles to the second side road right, which is the campsite.

Bills Spring Campsite

Bills Spring Campsite is the driveway of an old cabin that has been razed and partially cleared away. The cement foundation and some debris remain, and there are plenty of rusty nails, but enough remains to make this a curious place to visit. The spring, however, appears to be dry.

The camping area is, literally, the driveway loop and parking area for the old cabin. There is enough space for a truck camper or two, but this is not a large campsite. Oak trees and Utah juniper offer a bit of shade.

This area is a good kick-off point for ATVs following some the 500 miles of open road in Gold Butte region. Rough roads lead south into the mountains and can be used to access Cedar Basin and loop back through Gold Butte Townsite to Bills Spring.