Overview

Raven Ridge is a complex of low, alluvial ridges that run west from Whitney Pocket nearly to Black Butte. The ridge is fairly easy to climb onto, and from the top hikers are exposed to surprisingly grand views out across Gold Butte and far into the surrounding region.

Raven Ridge #1 is the east-most of the ridges that make up the Raven Ridge complex. Raven Ridge #1 Route is a 2.60 mile in-and-out hike that runs out to two grand overlooks, the second of which sits right above the heart of Amber Cat Canyon.

From the second overlook, hikers can wander where they will, but descending into Amber Cat Canyon and returning over the Doodlebug Arch Loop route makes a nice loop.

This is a convenient hike because it is near Whitney Pocket (a popular camping and picnic area) and because it is accessible in 2WD vehicles.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a relatively safe hike for those who stay on the ridgetop and don't stray too far out onto the edge at the overlooks. This is, however, 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. Nobody will find you if you get lost in this area. Some cell phones work at points along the ridgeline.

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

Getting to the Trailhead

Raven Ridge is located at Whitney Pocket out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about 2 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From town, drive out to Gold Butte National Monument. Drive east on Interstate-15 to Highway 170. Take Exit 112 south towards Riverside and Bunkerville. Drive south across the Virgin River, then quickly turn right onto the paved Gold Butte Road. Follow the pavement (there are no paved side roads) for 21 miles until the pavement ends at Whitney Pocket.

Continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for about 120 yards to a graded spur road to the right. Turn right onto the Whitney Pocket Day-Use Parking Lot, drivers will see information signs on the right; the trail starts on the opposite end of the parking area. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the Trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), the route heads south on a little used dirt road that runs parallel to Gold Butte Road. The dirt road dips through two washed and climbs towards the apparent skyline, which is off the toe of Raven Ridge.

Approaching the apparent skyline (Wpt. 02), the route turns right and heads west and straight up the toe of Raven Ridge. This is the steepest part of the hike, but it is only about 0.1 miles to the top of the ridge (Wpt. 03).

At this point, the top of the ridge is small and fairly narrow, so when hikers stop for a few minutes to catch their breath, they are treated to grand views back towards the trailhead (seems a long way down!) and the rest of the Whitney Pocket area. Views in the other directions are pretty good too.

From the top of the ridge (Wpt. 03), the route runs northwest along the narrow crest of the ridge. The route dips into a saddle where the ridge is narrow enough that hikers must watch their step carefully.

Beyond the saddle, the route climbs towards the highpoint (Wpt. 04) of the hike. After crossing the saddle, hikers will find the grand view welcome because they provide another reason to stop and rest for a few minutes.

From the highpoint (Wpt. 04), the route continues west following the top of the broad, flat ridgetop, and hikers will find the walking open and easy.

The route stays atop the broad ridge heading generally west, staying more-or-less along the north edge of the ridge overlooking sandstone crags and the broad desert valley to the north. At about 0.8 miles out, the ridge bends a bit to the left, such that the route begins to run towards the southwest.

Staying atop the broad ridge, now running southwest, the route stays to the right as it runs out onto a finger of ridgeline that gets narrower and narrower. Hikers are soon stopped by cliffs, but from atop the cliffs (Upper Amber Cat Canyon Overlook; Wpt. 05), grand views open below into upper Amber Cat Canyon.

After enjoying the view, the route backtracks up the finger about 20 yards to where it is relatively easy to turn southeast and hike 100 yards (across the nearest gully) to the next ridgeline to the south.

Turning southwest onto that ridgetop, the route again stays right atop steep cliffs and runs out to Amber Cat Canyon Overlook (Wpt. 06), with stunning views down into Amber Cat Canyon.

From Amber Cat Canyon Overlook (Wpt. 06), this route ends. Hikers can return over the same route to the trailhead, or consider backtracking and then dropping into the canyon to the south. Following that canyon leads hikers into the bottom of Amber Cat Canyon, and then Amber Cat Canyon can be followed back to the trailhead, making a nice loop.