 Gold to Grand Loop is a bikepacking route that travels through Gold Butte and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monuments straddling the Nevada/Arizona border. It does a nearly full circumference ride of Gold Butte NM taking in opportunities for side hikes at Little Finland and Seven Keyholes Slot Canyon as well as cultural tours of the old Gold Butte Townsite. Take time to enjoy the dense Joshua Trees and exposed, vibrantly colorful geological formations along the route. From here, it's a big descent into the remote and little visited Grand Canyon-Parashant NM. You'll look at the distant Grand Wash Cliffs that officially mark the end of the Grand Canyon as the stratified layers dive into the Mojave Desert at Lake Mead. Stop at ecologically rich Pakoon Springs before a climb up and along the base of the Virgin Mountains. Then, climb up and over Lime Kiln Pass where an exhilerating descent carries you to the high desert town of Mesquite, NV. Eat some tacos and then finish the ride on the semi-paved Gold Butte Backcountry Byway that traces the banks of the Virgin River before ascending back up to Gold Butte NM and finishing the route at iconic Whitney Pocket.
Gold to Grand Loop sticks to excellent backcountry dirt roads and features evenly-spaced reliable water sources. It travels through environmentally important habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise but mule deer and big horn sheep are out here too. Junipers and Joshua trees intermix along with creosote and yucca along terrain that ranges from 1400 to 4600 feet. This is a great 3-4 day winter bikepacking trip close to Las Vegas and through the heart of where the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert meet. Continue to Full Route Guide
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