The Exploring Gold Butte Challenge
Five ways to get out into the monument this fall — on foot, behind the wheel, trowel in hand, or just listening. Every visit counts toward something.
FRIENDS OF GOLD BUTTE – FALL 2026 to Spring 2027
This fall, Friends of Gold Butte invites members and friends of every kind — new visitors, longtime hikers, OHV drivers, and volunteers alike — to take part in the Exploring Gold Butte Challenge, a season-long celebration of everything the monument has to offer. Whether you’re hitting the trail, joining a Jeep tour, picking up trash, or attending an education event, any qualifying visit signed up through Meetup counts toward the Challenge.
The Challenge includes two phases, each with its own awards, plus a season finale. It’s a fun way to get out, get involved, and get recognized for everything you already love doing at Gold Butte. Be sure to join Meetup if you haven’t already. You’ll get an email notification for each event we host.
Five Ways In
CHOOSE YOUR OWN WAY(S)
Hikes and Peaks
ON FOOT
Hit the trail your way
Join us for standard and exploratory hikes for every skill level, plus featured peaks curated for advanced adventurers.
Jeep & 4x4 Tours
BY VEHICLE
Hit the backcountry
Come out on FoGB-sponsored 4x4 trips through Gold Butte's mountains, desert, and geological wonders.
Trash and Land Projects
STEWARDSHIP
Roll up your sleeves
Participate in clean-ups and stewardship outings that give back to the land you love.
Volunteering in the Office or Community
ADVOCACY
Show Up, Speak Up
Support Gold Butte from the office or out in the community — help with admin projects, outreach events, or advocacy efforts that protect this landscape for the long haul.
Speaker Series
LEARNING
Discover Gold Butte's story
Attend our speaker series events and other opportunities to learn about its natural and cultural history.
SAME LEADERS, SAME SIGN UP
The Process You Already Know
Sign up the way you always have
Every outing is scheduled and posted through Meetup, just like our hikes always have been, and led by our existing hike leaders, trip leaders, and event coordinators. Not yet a Meetup member? Head on over and sign up. You’ll be notified of all our upcoming events!
Tracked the familiar way
Participation is tracked through signature log sheets at each outing. Featured peaks also have peak registers on-site for hikers who want that extra bit of documentation.
EARN YOUR PLACE
Get recognized for getting out there
Phase One awards will be presented at the Friends of Gold Butte Annual Auction in December — including time to celebrate everyone’s adventures. Phase Two and Season Finale awards will be presented in late Spring, 2027.
3 Qualifying activities and 30 points — any mix of hikes, peaks, tours, stewardship, site visits, or speaker talks — earns an Exploring Gold Butte Challenge participation badge (one per person).
Top Explorer status goes to members who complete the most activities overall, recognized with gift certificate prizes.
GET YOUR KEEPSAKE BOOKLET
Carry your progress in your pocket
Friends of Gold Butte will provide you with an Exploring Gold Butte passport — a pocket-sized keepsake booklet with a page for each activity category, so leaders can sign off your progress outing by outing.
Watch for more details, including the full fall schedule, on the our website and Meetup page in the coming weeks.
INFO ON EARNING
Point Details
| HIKES | |
| Distance, every mile | 1 |
| Elevation, every 500 ft gain | 1 |
| OHV TOURS | |
| Every 10 miles driven | 1 |
| STEWARDSHIP | |
| Trash pickup, each event | 2 |
| Asphalt repair, per day | 4 |
| All others | Varies* |
| EDUCATION | |
| Speaker series (in person or video) | 1 |
| Star Party | 1 |
| BioBlitz, per day | 3 |
| Paint Night, each event | 1 |
| Off-site trips | Varies* |
| ADVOCACY | |
| Welcome Center host, 2 hours | 1 |
| Info table host, 1 hour | 1 |
| All other projects, 1 hour | Varies* † |
| HIKE | MI | GAIN (FT) | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit Black Ridge | 4 | 600 | 5 |
| West Approach to Cauldron of Fire | 6 | 700 | 7 |
| Corral to Cauldron of Fire | 3 | 500 | 4 |
| Looks Like Half Dome and El Capitan | 5 | 1,100 | 7 |
| Whitney Wash | 4 | 400 | 4 |
| Doodlebug – Amber Cat Loop | 5 | 580 | 6 |
| Miner’s Stone Cabin | 1 | 500 | 2 |
| Balanced Rocks | 4.5 | 300 | 5 |
| Little Finland from Corral | 3 | 200 | 3 |
| Paradise Peak | 3.75 | 900 | 5 |
| Valatier Wash and Paradise Valley Loop | 4 | 250 | 4 |
| Gold Butte Peak | 3.6 | 950 | 5 |
| Virgin Peak | 5.5 | 2,700 | 12 |
| Little Virgin Peak | 2.5 | 750 | 4 |
| South Virgin Peak | 3 | 400 | 5 |
| Beer Can Fence / Hen Springs Arch | 6 | 1,200 | 8 |
| Taglo Mine Pass | 3.6 | 1,200 | 6 |
| Mud Wash Narrows | 4 | 300 | 4 |
| All the Cool Places (A Frame) | 5 | 300 | 5 |
| Through the Gap and Beyond | 4 | 600 | 5 |
| Avenue of the Petroglyphs + 21 Goats | 3 | 200 | 3 |
| Cactus Garden Hike | 3.3 | 400 | 4 |
| Arches of Black Mesa and Deep Creek | 4.5 | 400 | 5 |
| Whitney Pass Rd to Cauldron of Fire | 3.6 | 400 | 4 |
| Garden Wash | 5 | 500 | 6 |
| Little Finland from the Northwest | 3 | 300 | 3 |
We’ll see you out there!
On the trail, on a tour, at a clean-up, or in the audience — this season, however you get involved, it counts. Visit our Planning Calendar to see the events and times we’re working on putting together. Just know this is not our official calendar of events. For that, visit our Meetup page.