Overview

Cabin Spring Canyon Road is a 4WD spur road off Whitney Pass Road that climbs rather steeply 0.37 miles and ends for no other reason than the hillside gets too steep. There is one small campsite near the start of the road, and hikers can follow steep use-trails from the end of the road to an historic stone cabin farther up the canyon. Cabin Spring, like so many other springs in this parched land, dried up decades ago.

This road provides access to a campsite, a hike to the stone cabin, and grand views southwest across Gold Butte National Monument. However, with the spring dry, there is little reason to drive this road.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ... this road is narrow and steep enough that 4WD is useful, but it should be safe. Drive slowly onto the end of the road where there is a steep, triangular, turn-about (driving up, turn into one arm of the T, back up across the hillside into the other end of the T, then turn back down the road).

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 the area, 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.

Getting to Cabin Spring Canyon Road

Cabin Spring Canyon Road is located about 2-1/2 hours east of Las Vegas, in the wild, remote, and scenic Gold Butte National Monument south of the town of Mesquite.

From Las Vegas, drive out to Gold Butte National Monument. Drive south 21 miles on the paved Gold Butte Road to Whitney Pocket at the end of the pavement. About 100 yards past the pavement, turn left onto Whitney Pass Road and drive east towards the mountains. Drive 3.4 miles to Cabin Spring Canyon Road, an unsigned road on the left.

The Road

From Whitney Pass Road (Table 1, Site 0969), Cabin Spring Canyon Road runs due north a few yards, then bends right and runs more or less straight up the canyon. The road is a bit washed out and rocky, but not too bad. Shortly before the end of the road, the road forks.

At about 250 yards out, the road passes a small campsite on the right. There is room for one truck, a tent, and a small campfire.

The road continues on the hillside above the wash, and at about 0.3 miles out, passes the last place to turn around (on the left) before finishing the last very steep section of road.

The end of the road is steep and with a T, rather than proper, turn-about. Driving up the road, turn into one arm of the T, back up across the steep hillside into the other end of the T, then turn back down the road).