Overview

West End Wash South Road is a sandy two-track road that follows a broad wash as it runs south from Northshore Road towards Lake Mead. The road never gets to the lake, as it is blocked a pour-over about 1.2 miles out. Althouth illegal, some drivers are bypassing the pour-over and continuing down the wash. The sign near the end of the road is, however, confusing, so drivers in the right vehicles might not realize the violation.

This road runs through spectacular country with high mountains and a deep sandy wash, but it doesn't really go anywhere, although hikers could continue down about 2 miles to Callville Bay.

Driving this wash requires a 4WD vehicle because of deep, soft sand.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this road is safe, but it is not maintained and suitable only for 4WD vehicles because of deep, soft sand. In my jeep, I usually stay in 2WD until I get stuck, and in this case -- I did.

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

Getting to the Roadhead

This road is located along Northshore Road in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 40 minutes northeast of Las Vegas.

From town, drive out to Lake Mead and then to about Mile 12.6 on Northshore Road. As Northshore Road winds down a hill, West End Wash South Road starts to the right (south). There is no highway sign, but watch for telephone wires crossing the road.

The Road

From the pavement (Table 1, Site 1410), West End Wash South Road turns south to wind through a gully and then continues on firm dirt following telephone poles.

At about 0.4 miles out, the road forks. The left drops directly into the wash, while the right stays on firm ground until it too drops into the wash (Site 1413).

Now in the wash, tire tracks lead downstream until a layer of rocks lying across the wash forms a pour-over (Site 1414). Just before the pour-over, the legal road stays right and exits the wash to end on a rocky promontory that is part of the layer of rocks forming the pour-over. Some rock-hopper jeep drivers depart the legal road, crawl down the pour-over, and continue farther down the wash.

Returning back up the road, the sandy wash bends right as the road bends left onto firm soils (just above Wpt. 1413). Tire tracks run up the wash to the Northshore Road bridge, but that is not the legal road.