Overview

West End Wash North Road is a well-used two-track road that follows a gravel wash from Northshore Road north into the wild backcountry of Lake Mead National Recreation Area and out onto BLM land. The road provides access to primitive campsites, several side roads, and hikes in the Muddy Mountains Wilderness Area. This road leads through spectacular country for many miles and, for the hardy, can be used to connect with Valley of Fire Road.

Driving up the wash requires a carefully driven, 4WD vehicle.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a fairly easy drive except for where it is washed out. The road is not maintained, but lower parts are suitable for carefully driven 2WD-HC vehicles, although 4WD vehicles are safer because you just never know when a patch of soft gravel will suck you down. In my jeep, I stayed in 2WD, but it was reassuring to have 4WD just in case.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This road is long, so be sure to bring 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 north on Northshore Road to about Mile 13.3. Northshore Road crosses the wash, and then West End Wash North Road turns off to the left (north). There is no sign right along Northshore Road, but watch for a paved apron and dirt road on the left. After turning onto West End Wash North Road, drivers will see the road sign: West End Wash North #92, 4x4 Recommended; Off Road Travel Prohibited.

The Road

From the pavement (Table 1, Site 1412), West End Wash North Road runs north to wind through a big hairpin turn to the left before dropping into the sandy West End Wash, which can be seen from near the pavement. In the wash, drivers turn right and head north into the wild country. Turning north, drivers might notice a Road 92 approved-route symbol sign (yellow arrow on a brown background) lying on the ground.

At about 0.8 miles out, West End Wash North Road forks (Site 1488). The main road stays left (north), while the side road to the right runs northeast and eventually splits again. At that split, the left fork runs out to the edge of Muddy Mountains Wilderness Area, while the right fork used to connect with Anniversary Mine Road but is now blocked by mining activities.

Continuing north on West End Wash North Road, the Lake Mead NRA boundary (Site 1489) is passed at about 1.0 miles out; from this point on, the road runs on BLM land.

West End Wash North Road runs up the wash and passes through a gap in a ridge, then proceeds into a broad, sandy valley. The road eventually passes another narrow area, then splits (Site 1490) again. The main road stays right, but both forks merge in about 0.3 miles.

Now running northwest, West End Wash North Road runs across another broad valley, and the road splits again (Site 1491). Here, a side road forks right to the north, actually staying in West End Wash, proper. At this point, however, West End Wash North Road stays left and begins to exit the West End Wash drainage system.

Still running northwest, West End Wash North Road heads up a side wash and runs through yet another narrows into another broad valley where the road splits (Site 1492) yet again. Here, a side road forks right to run up a wash and end at the edge of the Muddy Mountains Wilderness Area.

Staying left, West End Wash North Road runs up a wash into a narrowing canyon, then climbs out of the wash on an old road. Unfortunately, the old road has a broad, deep rut running up the center, and straddling the rut with a full-sized truck might be tricky. Narrow jeeps can stay on the right edge of the road, but driving between the ditch and the soft edge of the road could be dangerous.

The road winds about, passing a nice campsite on a corner, and then climbs southwest onto a high saddle (Site 1493).

From the saddle, the road continues southwest out into the open desert. The road eventually turns northwest and winds through mining areas, crosses railroad tracks, and runs past a solar farm before reaching pavement at Pabco Road (just north of the Pabco Gypsum plant). At this point, drivers can turn south back to Lake Mead Blvd., turn north to Apex and I-15, or proceed about 1/2-mile north on Pabco Road before turning northeast on a gravel powerline road, which eventually connects with Valley of Fire Road. This gravel road is in pretty bad shape, and it gets worse farther out. It has been described as slow, tedious, and brutal.