Overview

Mud Wash Dunes Road is a 0.5-mile two-track that runs north from Mud Wash Road (part of the Gold Butte Backcountry Byway loop) to a campsite and trailhead nestled under the cliffs.

The start of the road is a bit steep, and it is nice to have 4WD, but after that the road traverses spectacular country the rest of the way. The soils are sandy, but the road base is firm.

This road provides access to grand scenery with towering red sandstone crags, a field of red sand dunes, and an off-trail route to Little Finland.

Link to road map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about the desert, ... the first few yards of this road are in fair condition for 2WD-HC vehicles, but after that, the road is fine.

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 even two or more days if you get off the main road.

While out, 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 the Roadhead

Mud Wash Dunes Road is located out in Gold Butte northeast of Lake Mead, about 2-1/2 hours northeast of Las Vegas.

From Las Vegas, drive out to Whitney Pocket at the end of the paved Gold Butte Road. Continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for 3.9 miles to Mud Wash North Road. Turn right onto Mud Wash North Road and continue 3.2 miles southwest to Mud Wash Road. Stay right onto Mud Wash Road and continue generally west for 0.6 miles to Mud Wash Dunes Road, which climbs the steep bank of the wash on the right.

See also the Gold Butte Area overview map.

The Road

From Mud Wash Road (Table 1, Site 1677), Mud Wash Dunes Road climbs steeply up the north bank of Mud Wash, then runs gently north across sparsely vegetated Mojave Desert Scrub where creosote bush, white bursage, and Eastern Joshua Trees dominate the sandy flats.

The road runs north between limestone mountains on the right and red sandstone crags on the left.

The road eventually hits a fence that runs east-west across the valley. At that point, the road bends left and quickly arrives at the turnabout at the end of the road (Site 1636).

Arriving at the end of the road, the old, now-closed road continues north and leads to the sand dunes, which extend from about 0.2 to 0.7 miles distant. Opposite the trailhead, there is plenty of space to set up a low-impact campsite without trampling the vegetation.