Discover gold butte national monument of nevada travel. The many questions of gold butte high country news. Look at gold butte, clark county, nevada, united states from different perspectives. We host monthly guest speakers in mesquite on all outdoor topics like archeology, geology, desert animals, desert plants, history, and others. The western states have produced massive amounts of placer gold since the 1848 discovery of gold at coloma, california. By designating gold butte as a monument it is intentionally prioritizing cultures and history by what todays values dictate while minimizing others. The detailed road map represents one of many map types and styles available. The nuwuvi left hints of their lives here as they learned to coexist with the land in the moapa valley. This mix of cultures illustrates historical contingency, inplace development, and external. However, from behind the desk she did find a book from a local author. Located in southeastern nevada, the gold butte national monument. Green, a leading nevada historian, provides a detailed survey of the silver states past, from the arrival of the early european explorers, to the predominance of mining in the 1800s, to the rise of worldclass tourism in the twentieth century, and to more recent attempts to diversify the. Nevada gold butte national monument map the one main approach route into gold butte national monument is the paved gold butte road, a backcountry byway, which starts from riverside along hwy 170, 3 miles from exit 112 of interstate 15. A few weeks later, nevada congressman steve horsford also introduced a similar bill to the house.
Gold butte national monument, says jocelyn torres, nevada. Nevada petroglyph hike with the friends of gold butte. Though virginia city got all the glory, silver city and gold hill played an important part in the history of the area. A longtime historic preservationist, holly has written three previous books about renos history. Gold butte, nevada is part of the gold butte mining district, which includes the territory south of gold butte lying between the nevada arizona state line to the east and the virgin river now lake mead to the west. Gold butte national monument mesquite 2020 all you. The late 1800s was a good time to be mining in nevada. In gold butte in nevada, ancient rock art and rugged. Roads this region of nevada has always been lightly visited, a situation not much changed by the establishment of the national monument. Following the new silver strike in nevada, he went to virginia city where the buzz was all about the new finds near austin, nevada in 1862. Little finland is located within the gold butte national monument located between lake mead and mesquite, nevada.
The first gold nugget in what would become known as gold canyon was actually discovered at devils gate, just north. Another outstanding guide by delos toole essential for nevada gold nugget hunting. Reid called gold butte nevadas piece of the grand canyon. Visit to gold butte national monument trip notes for 03142018. We will be working to link and digitally transcribe many of the documents for the areas in and around gold butte. Gold butte is much more than remnants of early mining.
The monument protects nearly 300,000 acres of desert landscapes featuring a wide array of natural and cultural resources, including rock art, sandstone towers, and important wildlife habitat for species. More stories were circulating about gold in the big smoky valley and seeing opportunity, breyfogle opened a real. History early exploration in the 1770s several spanish explorers came near the area of presentday nevada but it was not until half a century later that fur traders venturing into the rocky mts. The history of gold mining in nevada is slightly different from other us states.
The byway begins about 90 miles north of las vegas. Arthur coleman and william garrett met in 1916 in gold butte as the town was already fading into history. Gold butte in opposition to federal designations, says that historical. Panning for gold or silver is a type of traditional, placer mining where gold or silver ore is extracted from a placer deposit using a pan. Some are afraid of being locked out of gold butte, but the blm says not. Gold butte national monument bureau of land management. That, and the stories recorded on hundreds of petroglyph panels throughout gold butte are a window into some deep ancestral history and tradition. A look at gold butte, nevada, two years after the bundy. The many questions of gold butte high country news know the. Placer districts throughout the west were heavily mined almost continuously for over a century by a variety of methods. Nevadas leading institution of higher education is the univ. A history of the silver state has been named a choice outstanding title. List of books and articles about nevada history online. Nevada has literally thousands of lode mines scattered across the state.
Gold butte is the name of a ghost town and nearby mountain peak in clark county, nevada. Very interesting and scenic trip to a loop off road trails just south of gold butte nevada to find the radio crystal mine and other mines of. Get your 4x4 packed up for an adventure and explore whitney pocket, little finland, devils throat, gold butte townsite and the rest of the gold butte backcountry byway. It is 360,000 acres of rugged mountains, joshua tree and mojave yucca forests, outcroppings of sandstone, and braided washes that turn into slot canyons. It includes the territory south of gold butte lying between the nevadaarizona boundary line on the east and the virgin river on the west. Explore gold butte, one of nevadas most spectacular wild places, and learn why it needs protection now. Locals reportedly called them the odd pair and the long and the short of it, partly because garrett, a rancher from texas, stood about six feet tall while coleman was just 5foot1. Gold butte national monument covers nearly 300,000 acres of remote and rugged desert landscape in southeastern nevada, where dramatically chiseled red sandstone, twisting canyons, and treeclad mountains punctuate desolate stretches of the mojave desert. Trip log data from mesquite down to gold butte and around the southern loop and back to gold butte, 68. The location, areal extent, past production, mining history, and probable lode source. This doesnt include the mileage or time back to mesquite from gold butte. There is no part of earth here to be taken up, wherein there is not some probable show of gold or silver.
Mica was first discovered here in 1873, and then gold in 1905. The prehistory of gold butte uses a theoretical perspective rooted in human behavior ecology and other foraging models to present the results of one of the largest and most comprehensive archaeological investigations ever undertaken in southern nevada, involving the systematic survey of more than 31,000 acres, the documentation of more than 377. Appears in 8 books from 18512007 page 28 reverend father. Exit the bunkerville exit from i15 and head west on riverside rd over the virgin river,then make the first right turn onto new gold butte rd just before the road turns to the left towards the ne and mesquite,nv. Gold butte national monument covers nearly 300000 acres of remote and rugged desert landscape in southeastern nevada, where dramatically chiseled red. Gold butte national monument similar to a national park, was established in 2016 to create a 300,000 acre preserve that protects the landscape from development while also protecting native american, ranching, and pioneer history while providing for recreational access. The town was originally known for the mining of mica and was typical in that it resembled the layout of most other mining boom towns of the era. Despite this previous activity, there is still plenty of gold to be discovered. Discover gold butte national monument, located south of valley of fire. The history and development of butte montana mining books. By administering gold butte as a national monument the history of many of these cultures will slowly be erased and forgotten by the federal land managers as they focus their resources on making. Visiting gold butte national monument should be top of the list to anyone exploring the regions concentration of national parks. Maps showing locations of mines and prospects in the butte. The first one between the two cliffs in this figure, the one we chose, is by far the most difficult and requires some rock scrambling.
Gold butte is located about 33 miles southeast of glendale. A gold rush in 1908 brought in more people, and the townsite now had a hotel. I understand, through the medium of one of your christian indians, that you are anxious to know who we are, as some of the indians have been at the mission and informed you. There are actually two ways to reach the back of the grotto area fig. Prospectors often use metal detectors and drywashers to recover gold in the arid desert. It includes the territory south of gold butte lying between the nevada arizona boundary line on the east and the virgin river on the west. We want everyone to be able to enjoy nevadas piece of the grand canyon puzzle. Leaving the i15 from exit 112, the gold butte townsite is located at the end of gold butte road, about 50 miles south of the highway. Gold butte is located between the grand canyon parashant national. A look at gold butte, nevada, two years after the bundy standoff surveyors found illegal cattle grazing, defaced petroglyphs and ditchdigging.
Features covid19 climate public lands indigenous affairs water immigration books. Silver city and gold hill mining the comstock lode in nevada. The town of gold butte, long abandoned, now attracts visitors interested in early pioneer history, ranching and ghost towns. Gold butte, long abandoned, now attracts visitors interested in early pioneer history. Daniel bonelli discovered mica in this area in 1873. It is located 109 miles from las vegas with excellent roads for the first 73 miles, then 30 miles of poorly paved roadway that is easily passable for any auto. In gold butte in nevada, ancient rock art and rugged beauty the. The brightly hued sandstone provides a stunning canvas for the areas famously beautiful rock art, and the desert provides. Gives the history of butte montana from its original gold discovery which eventually turned into rich copper deposits. The lost breyfogle mine, nevada legends of america. The helpful librarian guided me to a shelf of books on nevada history, but none of them mentioned gold butte in their indexes. Grand scenery and great roads in gold butte national monument.
The brightly hued sandstone provides a stunning canvas for the areas famously beautiful rock art, and the desert. This method is among the simplest and is quite popular with geology enthusiasts because it is fairly inexpensive and easy to do. As nevada state road 341 winds its way northward to the queen of the comstock lode virginia city, it passes through two more mining camps. A trip to the gold butte area and mines nearby in the desert. A small boom occurred in 1908, when the camp of gold butte was established, and although a number of small companies were organized to work various properties. Nevada s leading institution of higher education is the univ. The nevada bureau of mines and geology is a wealth of historical knowledge on mining within the state. Desert drive lovely drive in the desert and great scenery on the way to the monument. Several long dirt roads enter the preserve from the east, starting in the arizona strip district, but almost all people approach from the northwest, along a paved route gold butte road which forks south off hwy 170 at riverside, 3 miles from. Its unclear whether president donald trumps administration will provide that level of. They have thousands of scans of historical documents and maps throughout nevada. Feature gold butte is 300,000 acres of rugged wilderness in southern nevada with a history as rich and colorful as its sandstone. We are a nonprofit 501 c3 that strives to promote the responsible enjoyment of the gold butte national monument through education, stewardship, advocacy, and preservation of natural and cultural resources.
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