October 17, 2022 GOLD BUTTE ROAD CONDITIONS Conditions are subject to change — use your own good judgment. With the monsoon rains of 2022, most roads were partially damaged. Be careful out there and don’t push beyond your capability or those of your vehicle. It is always safer to travel with at least one other..
Hollow-pipe mining-claim markers were set up by prospectors during about 1970 to 1990 to mark the corners of their claims. Prior to that time, prospectors in the western deserts used piles of stones (cairns) as corner markers. As would be expected, looking for a pile of stones in the desert, which many people feel is “just..
Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) live throughout Gold Butte, but must remain fairly close to water (e.g., Lake Mead, mountain springs). Look for Bighorns on ridgelines and near rocky cliffs where they feel safe from predators. Desert Bighorn Sheep are large sheep of desert mountains with a tan coat and white rump. Adult males are..
Desert Tortoises, the only land turtles in Nevada, live throughout Gold Butte from the lowest elevations to about 4,500 feet elevation. Tortoise populations are declining throughout much of their range, but they are doing particularly well on the slopes above Mesquite leading into the foothills of the Virgin Mountains.Desert Tortoises have a moderately domed, brownish shell..
