Overview

Garden Spring Corral and Windmill is an historic site in southern Gold Butte National Monument near Gold Butte Townsite. Most of the wooden fencing was stolen in about 2015. The upright posts (railroad ties) remain, and some of the fencing remains, but it is disappointing that people vandalized our shared history for personal profit.

Garden Spring normally flows during wet periods. Water is captured in a dugout depression in one of the paddocks where it supports riparian vegetation, wildlife, and birds. Curiously, during the wet winter of 2018-2019, water did not accumulate in the dugout.

The Fork Fire in 2005 scorched much of the area, but fire crews saved the corral and some surrounding vegetation. Trees in the area are mostly Utah Junipers and Shrub Live Oak, but include Singleleaf Pinyon Pine, Desert Willow, and Joshua Trees. Cattails grow in the wet area.

This is a nice place to camp and explore, so plan to spend a weekend exploring the historic sites and natural wonders.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this area is fairly safe, but watch for nails in old boards and wire on the ground. The access road requires a 2WD-HC vehicle.

This is wild and remote country 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. Gold Butte National Monument is a big place and someone will find you eventually if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or two, or even longer on side roads.

While visiting, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a remote area, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Getting to Garden Spring Corral

Garden Spring Corral is located out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about 3 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From town, drive out to Gold Butte National Monument. From Whitney Pocket, continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road to Devils Cove Road (Table 1, Site 0797). Stay left onto Devils Cove Road and continue south 1.0 miles. The relatively straight road bends left around a rocky ridge and crosses a major wash. Here, in the wash (Site 1770), Garden Corral Road branches to the left and heads up the wash. If the wash looks too sandy, continue southeast on Devils Cove Road for another 0.2 miles to a side road (Site 1776) to the left. This side road left can be used to bypass the sandy wash.

On Garden Corral Road, about 0.2 miles out, the bypass road (Site 1777) enters from the right. Garden Corral Road continues straight and climbs out of the wash. The road winds a bit, but generally heads east for a total of 0.7 miles to the corral (Site 1778). The windmill is visible long before getting to the corral.