Overview

The Gravel Pit Campsite is a popular undeveloped campsite way out in the desert on flats below the limestone-gray Virgin Peak and the ancient metamorphic Black Ridge (anchored by Little 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.

The campsite, suitable for several large trailers and RVs, is located behind the gravel pile, offering some privacy from traffic on Gold Butte Road. The camp area is open, 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 Gravel Pit Campsite

The Gravel Pit Campsite is located out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, most of 2 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From town, drive out to Gold Butte National Monument. Drive east on Interstate-15 to Highway 170. Take Exit 112 towards Riverside and Bunkerville. Drive south and cross the Virgin River, then quickly turn right onto the paved Gold Butte Road. Follow the pavement (there are no paved side roads) for 14.7 miles (Table 1, Site 1661). This is 0.4 miles past the signed side road to Fisherman's Cove.

Turn left onto the dirt road and drive west about 200 yards to the campsite, which is behind the pile of gravel visible from the pavement.

Gravel Pit Campsite

The Gravel Pit Campsite sits below the towering cliffs of Virgin Peak and provides grand views out across the desert to the west. This site is well suited for visitors arriving late who want a quick place to stop for the night before traveling deeper into Gold Butte National Monument.

This area also 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 east into the mountains and can be used to ride all the way to Bunkerville or loop back down Fisherman's Cove Road to the pavement.