Overview

Double Negative Road is a 2-track that runs from Mormon Mesa Road to Double Negative, Michael Heizer's land art sculpture out past Overton on the east edge of Mormon Mesa.

Double Negative Road is not maintained and is pretty rocky, but people in sedans get there -- just drive slowly and carefully. Out on the edge of Mormon Mesa, the route becomes a maze of semi-parallel roads, but they all seem to get there.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ...this is an easy drive. Although people in sedans can drive to Double Negative, there are some rough spots, and drivers in low-hanging vehicles should take care and avoid the larger rocks in the road.

There are no services or facilities of any kind after leaving town, but cell phones work. Be aware of the weather report and stay away if rain is expected, as mud on the road could present problems -- especially on the steep part.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this road is fairly short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Roadhead

This road is located at the north end of the Lake Mead Area, about 1 hour (55 miles) northeast of Las Vegas. From Las Vegas, it is quickest to approach from the north (Interstate 15), but some drivers might prefer the more scenic Northshore Road and approach from the south.

From the North:

From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate-15 for 51 miles to Highway 169 (Exit 93). Turn south towards Logandale and Overton. Drive south on Highway 169 for 8.5 miles to Yamashita Street, on the left, which starts as a bridge over the Muddy River.

From Highway 169, turn left onto Yamashita Street and drive across the bridge. Continue north 0.5 miles to Ron Street. Turn right onto Ron Street and drive east 0.4 miles to Lou Street. Turn right onto Lou Street and drive south 1.6 miles, passing the Overton Airport, to Mormon Mesa Road.

Mormon Mesa Road is just past the airport terminal, and the turn is a hard left back towards the airport. Mormon Mesa Road then bends right to run along the south edge of the airport. Past the airport fence (reset your odometer here), Mormon Mesa Road continues northeast into the desert. About a mile past the airport fence, the pavement ends (Table 1, Site 1554).

Alternatively, it might be easier, if a little longer, to continue south on Highway 169 to Cooper Street and turn hard to the left (see details below).

From the South:

From Las Vegas, drive out Northshore Road through Lake Mead NRA to Overton. Consider stopping for lunch in the quiet little town. There are a couple of locally owned choices and a national chain. From downtown Overton, drive north through downtown until the highway bends left. At that point, continue straight onto Cooper Street. Cooper Street eventually crosses a bridge over the Muddy River and bends right to become Mormon Mesa Road. The road passes the south end of the airport, and about a mile past the airport fence, the pavement ends (Site 1554).

Mormon Mesa Road

Now graded dirt, the well-maintained Mormon Mesa Road continues northeast towards the base of Mormon Mesa. Crossing desert flats, the road runs about 1.0 miles to the base of Mormon Mesa. For the next 1/2-mile, the road climbs rather steeply up and across the side of Mormon Mesa. If wet, mud on this steep section would be a problem.

At the top of the cliffs, 1.5 miles out, the road forks. Mormon Mesa Road stays right and continues east-northeast across the tabletop-flat Mormon Mesa. Minor roads branch off, but the main road is maintained and always is obvious.

After 4.3 miles on the dirt, just before reaching the far side of Mormon Mesa, a side road (Site 1555) forks off to the left. Drivers can turn left here onto Double Negative Road, or continue another 0.1 miles to a somewhat better road and turn left. Regardless, Mormon Mesa Road continues straight and begins to head steeply down over the east side of Mormon Mesa towards the Virgin River.

Double Negative Road

From Mormon Mesa Road, Double Negative Road runs generally northeast. Note that Google Maps shows this as "Carp-Elgin Road," which I don't think is correct.

Drivers will encounter a plethora of braided roads, a good example of what happens when roads are not maintained and drivers, hoping to find something better than what they have, try different (parallel) routes, even driving in the bushes.

Double Negative Road immediately passes the edge of the mesa with grand views down to the Virgin River and up to Virgin Peak. Continuing more-or-less straight, the road leaves the edge of the mesa and runs across open desert flats.

At 0.8 miles out, Double Negative Road returns to the edge of the mesa cliffs at a knock-off sculpture: Polish Negative. I'm not sure what to think about this, but it's a good landmark.

Continuing northeast, still more-or-less straight, Double Negative Road again leaves the edge of the mesa (1.1 miles out) and runs out across desert flats.

Approaching the edge of the mesa again (1.4 miles out), the road arrives at the South Trench (Double Negative South; Site 1556). There are no signs or structures of any kind, and Double Negative can be hard to see when arriving from this direction, so keep track of your mileage to know when to expect it (be extra careful in the dark).

After visiting South Trench, Double Negative Road continues 0.3 miles to the North Trench (Double Negative North; Site 1557). With the road now following the edge of the mesa, the northern end is easier to see from a distance. The road continues farther north, but it gets worse.

At both ends of Double Negative, don't park or walk too close to the edge of the trench. While the area is relatively safe, the walls of the trench have begun to collapse.