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Gentry Ranch Route
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Gold Butte National Monument
Gentry Ranch Area
Gentry Ranch
Trailhead parking where VRL Road forks near the river (view SW)

Overview

The Gentry Ranch area is an interesting place to hike along the banks of the Virgin River, parts of which were underwater when Lake Mead was higher. There is some history here, but it isn't the most exciting place to hike. However, in southern Nevada, we seldom get to hike along a flowing river on our home turf, so that makes this hike a treat. The early spring wildflowers can be great at this low elevation.

Historically, the Gentry family ran thousands of head of cattle in the Gold Butte area, and this area is marked on some old maps as "Gentry Ranch." However, there do not seem to be any old buildings or remains of other structures that one might expect to find at a spot marked "ranch" on an old map.

This area was the site of the old bridge over the Virgin River, suggested by ground works visible across the river (not visible in 2022), that appears to be where the old Arrowhead Trail Highway crossed the river. A gap in the ridge across the river was cut for the Arrowhead Highway, the first road built for motor vehicles connecting Los Angeles with Salt Lake City.

Gentry Ranch
The route starts following the right fork of VRL Road (view NW)

Link to hiking map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a fairly safe hike, although the trail runs across some craggy cliffs above the river where someone could fall if they tried.

This is a wild and remote area without services of any kind (no restrooms, no water, no gas, no food). Bring what you need to survive. Be prepared and be self-reliant. Someone will find you eventually if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or two. Cell phones worked on southern parts of this route.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a remote hike, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials. This hike is inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area, so pay extra attention to protecting the land.

Gentry Ranch
Starting down the right fork of VRL Road (view NW)

Getting to the Trailhead

The Gentry Ranch site is located out in Lake Mead National Recreation Area along the Virgin River, about 2.5 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From town, drive out to Gold Butte National Monument. From Highway 170 at Gold Butte Road, drive south 14.2 miles to Fisherman Cove Road, on the right.

From the pavement, drive southwest and downhill for about 7 miles to a major fork in the road with directional signs. Bear right onto Virgin River Landing Road (VRL Road) as it starts to climb towards Black Ridge to the north. The road eventually bends left and heads down towards the river. Use caution on sharp curves. Eventually, VRL Road emerges from a canyon onto an alluvial fan that once was below the surface of Lake Mead. As the road emerges from the canyon, it forks. It probably is easiest to park at the fork, as both forks get quite sandy farther down. Park here at the fork; this is the trailhead.

Gentry Ranch
Right fork of VRL Road follows the post-and-cable fence (view NW)

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), which is just below the old high-water mark for Lake Mead, the route runs northwest on the right fork of VRL Road. At about 300 yards out when the road curves left, hikers can walk straight into the bush (shortcut), or they can stay on the road and follow it around to a gated service road.

Staying on VRL Road, hikers continue southwest for another 200 yards. When the road bends farther left, away from the fence, hikers will see a gate on the right. Unfortunately, people have damaged the gate and drive illegally on the service road. Passing through the gate, hikers will see a "no vehicles" sign as the road hair-pins back to the right following the other side of the fence. Before long, the road curves left to heads more northward away from the trailhead.

Taking the shortcut, hikers hop the fence and continue straight into the bush. Before long, the shortcut meets the closed service road saving a minute or two of hiking time.

Gentry Ranch
Right fork of VRL Road follows the post-and-cable fence (view NW)

Regardless of which start hikers used, both now continue northwest along the old road, which is the historical Arrowhead Trail Highway. The road runs out to the edge of mud cliffs with a view of the Virgin River floodplain. Depending on how the river is meandering, the main channel might be close under the cliffs, or it might be on the far side of the basin. In 2022, the river was somewhere out on the horizon.

The service road bends away from the edge of the mud cliff and continues northward. Shortly, the road forks. Looking straight up the Arrowhead Trail Highway, hikers can see a big washout, and so the roads bends right to cross the wash above the washout. The illegal drivers created a road that continues northeast, but hikers need to bend hard to the left to return to the Arrowhead Trail Highway.

Continuing northwest, the Arrowhead Trail Highway is washed out again. Again, the road bends right and runs upstream along the wash. Shortly, an old, rusty piece of equipment comes into view, and when just across the wash, hikers will find an easy wash-crossing where cows have broken down the edge of the wash. Here, at about 0.4 miles out, the route passes an old trailer-type road grader (Wpt. 02) that spent some years beneath the surface of the lake.

Gentry Ranch
Right fork of VRL Road follows the post-and-cable fence (view NW)

It is likely that the grader was used to maintain the Arrowhead Trail Highway. In 1938, St. Thomas flooded, and this area would have flooded soon after, probably by 1940.

Continuing past the road grader, the route runs back west to rejoin the Arrowhead Trail. From this point, it seems that illegal drivers no longer go this way, evidenced by bushes pushing into the road. Shortly after rejoining the old road, look on the left for an old well casing pipe (Wpt. 03). In 2015, water could be seen down inside the pipe.

Following the Arrowhead Trail north, the road seems to fork. The cows go left onto the mud flats, but the old road stays right onto soils covered by rounded cobble stones. It is not always clear, but the old road runs along the base of the slope, not out in the mud flats.

By about 0.7 miles out, hikers will notice an old road scar cutting straight up the side of a ridge ahead on the right. At the base of the road scar, an old diesel engine sits near the old high-water mark. For those interested in visiting this old item of historical interest, when getting close (about 0.8 miles out), a wash crosses the old Arrowhead Highway. Hikers can leave the road and hike northeast up the wash the old Caterpillar diesel engine (Wpt. 04), which sits silently on the north edge of the wash.

Gentry Ranch
Approaching curve, hikers can jump the fence (view NW)

It looks like someone hauled the engine to just high enough to prevent the lake from swallowing it, but then abandoned it to the ages. It is possible, however, that the very highest waters of Lake Mead covered the engine. While there, notice the pile of old rubber belts.

Departing the diesel engine, hikers turn west and returns to the Arrowhead Highway. The slopes below the engine are covered with loose, rounded river rocks from which finer sediments were washed away by lake waters, so watch your step carefully.

Continuing north, the old road runs closer to the edge of the mud cliff. At about 1.0 miles out, the old road ends at an old USGS water gauging station (Wpt. 05). A gauging station is an installation used to measure the height of the water, presumably in the old river channel, which can be used to determine stream flow. All of the equipment is gone, but the instrument boxes and walkways remain.

The gauging station was placed at the site of a water pumping station. The well pipe and mechanical equipment to pump the water remains, and judging by the rubber belts, it seems that the diesel engine was used to power the pump.

Gentry Ranch
Hikers can jump the fence into the bush (view NW)

it is interesting to note the heavy wooden boards and pilings at the base of the pump mechanism, which have been burned. The Arrowhead Trail Highway crossed the Virgin River on a wooden bridge somewhere near this point, but the bridge burned in 1925 and was not rebuilt. It is possible that these burned boards are all that remain of the old bridge. In 2015, possible bridge abutment structures were visible across the river, but they were not seen in 2022.

For hikers continuing past the gauging station, a decision needs to be made: either drop down along the river or climb to a narrow trail and traverse the rocky cliffs above the river. For hikers intent on continuing north to the "Gentry Ranch" area, the upper route is harder but more certain, and the lower route is passable only when the river is low enough.

For the lower route, hikers start north from the gauging station atop the mud cliffs. In 25 yards or so, a cow trail cuts steeply down the mud cliffs to river level, and hikers can walk on the banks of the river until getting blocked between the river and rocky cliffs. If the river is low enough, hikers can climb (3rd class) around a cliffy corner and continue north into the "Gentry Ranch" area.

Gentry Ranch
In the bush, hikers can just head northwest (view NW)

Alternatively, from the water gauging station, hikers can angle up and across the steep hillside to join a narrow trail that traverses ledges and side slopes high above the river. The trail is a bit higher than the white band of cliffs visible from below, and it looks as if it might be the high-water mark (but it always was dry). The trail across the cliffs isn't dangerous, but it requires care: it is narrow, faint in places, and there is a bit of Class-2 scrambling where the trail dips in and out of steep gullies. The trail must have been man-made as a foot trail because it is not suitable for cows, burros, or horses.

Past the steep hillside, the terrain eases, and the trail disappears. Continuing north, hikers dip into a broad (and much more gentle) side canyon. In the canyon bottom, hikers can walk down to the river just upstream from the rocky cliffs that likely blocked hikers walking upstream along the river. Hikers can also continue north between cliffs and brush thickets to eventually climb onto low bluffs.

Atop the bluffs, which overlook the river and a vast landscape, it is easy to image that the Gentry family would have built a ranch up here, but it seems that nobody did.

Gentry Ranch
Continuing through the bush following a cow trail (view NW)

In this area, visitors can hike along the river, hike up on the bluffs, or explore narrow little canyons that cut into the mountains. This is a good place to wander about, see what is out there, and spend some quality time with wildflowers and flowing water. Hikers will not, however, find remains of the Gentry Ranch buildings.

When ready to return to the trailhead (photos of the return), hikers might consider making a loop. Depending on water levels, the river-edge cliffs might be passable. I found it easier than it looked, but still waters run deep, so consider water levels and use good judgment.

For hikers returning via the high route, when crossing the broad, gentle side canyon, look carefully for the faint start of the trail and don't drop too low into the cliffs looking for it.

For hikers returning via the riverbank route, the hoist-boom at the gauging station is visible from a distance -- just beyond the cow trail that cuts up through the mud cliffs.

From the gauging station, return to the trailhead (Wpt. 01) via the old Arrowhead Trail Highway.

Gentry Ranch
Approaching the old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Rejoining the old road (beyond the gate; view N)

Staying on the Road to the Gate

Gentry Ranch
Alternatively, hikers can continue on the road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Continuing on the road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Legal road curves left (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Closed road curves right (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the damaged gate (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Note that sign says: No Vehicles (view NE)

Routes Rejoin and Continue North

Gentry Ranch
The route follows the old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Old road runs out to the edge of mud cliff (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Edge of mud cliff (view W out over the river-bottom flood plain)
Gentry Ranch
The old road forks right to avoid a deep washout (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Deep washout on the original road (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Deep washout on the original road (zoom; view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching intersection of illegal roads (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
The route bends left to stay on the original old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Returning to the original old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching another fork in the old road (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The old road forks right to avoid another deep washout (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Old road approaching the road grader machine (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Road grader is visible across the gully (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
An easy place to cross the gully (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the road grader machine (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Road grader machine (view NW; front to back)
Gentry Ranch
Departing the road grader (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the old road (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Returning to the old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Past the grader, the old road seems unused by illegal OHVs
Gentry Ranch
Cows use the old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Cows use the old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Fork in the old road: cows to the left; hikers to the right (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Old road crosses soils covered with river cobbles (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The route follows the old road (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The diesel engine becomes visible in the distance (view N)
Gentry Ranch
In the distance, the diesel engine is visible (zoom; view N)
Gentry Ranch
In the distance, the diesel engine is visible (super-zoom; view N)
Gentry Ranch
The route follows the old road (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The route follows the old road (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching a wash (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Departing the old road towards the wash and diesel engine (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
The route runs up the wash (view E)
Gentry Ranch
Departing the wash onto the bench above (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the diesel engine (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Arriving at the diesel engine (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Departing the diesel engine (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Loose river cobbles on slope above old road (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Loose river cobbles on slope above old road (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Returning to the old road (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch Route (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch Route (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the water pump and gauging station (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Arriving at the water pump and gauging station (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Water pump and gauging station (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Water pump and pump (driven by the diesel engine?)
Gentry Ranch
Well pipe and pump attached to burned boards
Gentry Ranch
Gauging station and wooden platform (view NW)

Taking the Low Road along the River

Gentry Ranch
Routes northward diverge (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Continuing on the Low Road along the River (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Route runs atop edge of mud cliffs (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The cows found a way down to the river (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Steep cow trail leads down to the river (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The cows beat a trail through the bushes(view NW)
Gentry Ranch
An old stream channel serves as a route through the bushes (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Following an old stream channel (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Hikers can bust through bushes and mud to the Virgin River (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the Virgin River (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Arriving at the Virgin River (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Muddy bank of the Virgin River (view NE; upstream)
Gentry Ranch
Muddy bank of the Virgin River (view SW; downstream)
Gentry Ranch
Rocky bank of the Virgin River (view NE; upstream)
Gentry Ranch
Small pond formed when the oxbow changed direction (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Hikers are trapped below the mud cliff (view E)
Gentry Ranch
A hiker gives it a try (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
At this water level, the route is passable (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
The rocks look slippery, but are not when dry (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Passing a muddy alcove (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching steep rocks on the corner (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Not bad climbing at the corner (the fractured rock is solid; view E)
Gentry Ranch
Not bad climbing, but "still waters" run deep (view E)
Gentry Ranch
More to come ...

Taking the High Road through the Cliffs

Gentry Ranch
Routes northward diverge (view N)
Gentry RanchDeparting the Gauging Station view the high route (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Band of white rocks just below the trail (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Arriving at the trail (just above the high water line; view N)
Gentry Ranch
Looking back at the gauging station (view SW from the trail)
Gentry Ranch
Most of the trail is easy to follow (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Parts of the trail are not-so-easy to follow (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching a rocky gully (view NE towards the trail)
Gentry Ranch
Climbing out of gully, trail is hard to see but easy to follow (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Exiting the gully; trail is hard to see but easy to follow (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Back to a dirt trail (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching another gully (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Across the gully; trail is hard to see but easy to follow (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Beyond the gully, trail is easy to see and follow (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The trail generally becomes easier to see and follow (view N)
Gentry Ranch
The trail continues across the hillside (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Looking back: nice view of the Virgin River (view SW)
Gentry Ranch
Still above the cliffs, the trail continues across the hillside (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching a broad canyon, the trail fades away (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Descending the slope into the canyon bottom (view N)

Gentry Ranch Area

Gentry Ranch
Canyon bottom; almost back to river level (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Route continues up near base of cliffs (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Route continues above bushes near base of cliffs (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Approaching the far side of the canyon (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Crossing the slope (view SW towards Virgin River)
Gentry Ranch
Climbing onto desert flats beyond the broad canyon (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Grand view of the river from the "Gentry Ranch" area (view SW)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch area (view N)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch area (view NW)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch area (view W)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch area (view SW)
Gentry Ranch
Gentry Ranch area (view NE)
Gentry Ranch
Beyond the cliffs, a carpet of tiny white flowers in the Ranch area
Gentry Ranch
Sparse creosote bushes across the landscape in the Ranch area
Gentry Ranch Area
Hillside with yellow and purple flowers in 2015
Gentry Ranch Area
Lone barrel cactus
Gentry Ranch
Mixed spring wildflowers
Gentry Ranch
Cairn erected for some long-lost reason
Gentry Ranch
Arrowhead Highway gap in ridge (view SW from "Gentry Ranch")
Gentry Ranch
Arrowhead Highway gap (zoom view SW from "Gentry Ranch")
Gentry Ranch
Arrowhead Highway gap (super-zoom view SW from "Gentry Ranch")
Gentry Ranch
Return to the trailhead via low or high route (view S)

Table 1. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27, UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location Easting Northing Elevation (ft) Verified
01 Trailhead 739444 4043154 1,197 GPS
02 Grader 738963 4043448 1,179 GPS
03 Well Casing 738904 4043462 1,171 GPS
04 Old Engine 738744 4043968 1,208 GPS
05 Gauging Station 738666 4044136 1,189 GPS

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240325

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