ABOUT GOLD BUTTE: The Stunning Landscape & Cultural Heritage of a Threatened National Monument

We met Jaina Moan, Executive Director of Friends of Gold Butte, at an event they were hosting for the community in Mesquite, NV. She gave us an introduction into the importance of this new national monument and into the struggles it faces. The following day we arrived in Gold Butte at sunset and it surpassed all of our expectations. For the next couple of days we felt like we were walking through an exquisite, open-air art museum.

Gold Butte is beautiful piece of the Mojave Desert, between the Virgin River and the scenic Virgin Mountains, in southwestern Nevada.

In December 2016, the Gold Butte National Monument was designated through the Antiquities Act by President Obama. It was set in place to protect an almost pristine piece of the Mojave Desert in the southeastern corner of Nevada, where the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin regions also converge. This fullfilled over a decade of ongoing efforts of local groups to protect an area of great cultural and spiritual importance to the Southern Paiute. The monument also connects major conservation lands, as Jaina observed: ”It really encompasses the entire Grand Canyon ecosystem, which is a very unique one in the world. You have the Grand Canyon National Park that’s protected, you have the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and now you have Gold Butte, which finally has the protection it needs. Plus, Gold Butte is surrounded by the Lake Mead Recreation Area, which is a Park Service property. What you find now is this really great gift that we are giving to ourselves as a people and to our future generations, to say: ‘this is important for not just you to go out and enjoy, but for the animals and the plants that live there, for preserving the historic record of our humanity that is on this landscape.”

Jaina further explained that the people concerned with preserving the place and seeking a protected designation had been noticing many acts of vandalism, looting of historic resources, chopping down of Joshua trees, use of petroglyphs as shooting targets, as well as irresponsible recreation. “People need to be aware when they go out there that they’re going into a rugged place and that they need to prepare; so, know where you’re going, bring extra water and food, be prepared for an emergency, know your options because there’s no service out there. It’s important to communicate these things and that’s what Friends of Gold Butte is trying to do: to promote responsible enjoyment of the monument. Part of that responsible enjoyment is consideration for the cultural resources in the area, but the other part of it is the consideration for yourself and for others that are to follow.”

Gold Butte was listed as one of the four terrestrial national monuments whose boundaries would be altered and shrunk at the recommendation of the Secretary of Interior Zinke. Cattle grazing is permitted in the monument, and private property and existing rights are grandfathered in. Despite some opposition, many residents in the region and members of tribes spoke in favor of protecting Gold Butte for its importance. “Gold Butte is this really amazing piece of the Mojave Desert. It has a really wide elevational range, from the highest point going over 8,000 ft to the lowest at about 1,200 ft. Because it has such a wide elevational gradient within a short distance, it has incredible biological communities at different points along the monument. At the higher elevations you find some really unique Ice Age relict forests, with little pockets of Douglas and white fir. It’s the only place where you find Douglas fir in southern Nevada. Then you see some really spectacular pinyon-juniper woodlands, and you see a lot of classic creosote-bursage across the landscape. This is prime habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise, a species that is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The monument has a really wide range of biodiversity among its ecosystems and wildlife populations, and it has plant communities that are endemic to this part of the world. Ecologically speaking, it’s a fascinating place.”

“Then geologically speaking it’s a very special place — you’ll find Precambrian rocks that date to some 1.7 billion years ago; you travel a couple of miles and you find more recent rocks that are 170 million years old. The range of geologic history is absolutely incredible. It’s really a paradise for scientific research and geology. And then it’s also very significant for its history. Archaeologists looking at the human record in Gold Butte have concluded that humans have either lived or traveled through the area for the past 12,000 years, a phenomenal amount of time. Through their travels and habitation on this landscape they’ve left quite the record of… of our humanity. You find spectacular examples of petroglyphs, of agave roasting pits, then you find post-colonial evidence of habitation and the way in which those people used the land, with ranches, mines and so on. It really represents something for everybody when they’re out in Gold Butte.”

Gold Butte National Monument stands out through its impressive geology and colorful sandstone formations. The whole area is a true “work of art”.

The first sights upon entering Gold Butte at sunset along the Backcountry Byway

Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) are a species typical to the Mojave Desert ecosystem. There are hundreds of them within Gold Butte. More are being planted by the Friends group in an area that has been destroyed by a wildfire. Desert plants aren’t adapted to live with massive wildfires and regenerate very slowly. Nowadays, wildfires happen in deserts more often because of introduced species of grasses that grow among the bushes and the trees and spread the fire throughout extensive areas.

Left: to reach the Falling Man Rock Art site hikers scramble through this narrow tunnel in the ridge. From the parking lot it’s a short, easy walk and the rocks all around harbor the historical traces of the ancestors of the southern Paiute. For a detailed description of this hike head here. Right: while the rock walls and formations all around this area are filled with petroglyphs, this mountain side only has one, known as the ‘Falling Man’. All other petroglyphs have a geometrical, more rigid structure. The Falling Man breaks away entirely from the general style. It invites the imagination to wonder about its story. Regardless, it is a moving sight. It appears as a tribute or a revelation whose significance determined others to let this petroglyph remain alone on the rock wall.

Left: the colors of these rocks are painted by the interaction between water and minerals. The small pools, called ‘tinajas’, temporarily hold water which brings life to this dry environment. Right: tadpoles in one of the ‘tinajas’ that still had water.

Left: walking across the Mud Wash dunes was yet another wonderful experience in Gold Butte. This place truly has something for everyone. In the distance, the north slopes of the Virgin mountains host relict forests from the last Ice Age. Right: if you focus, you’ll spot a Mojave desert grasshopper well camouflaged amid the branches.

The dunes, being sculpted and moved around by the wind, are one of the most impressive sights in a national monument where one constanly runs out of words of awe.

The twisted sand and rock formations in ‘Little Finland’ spark the imagination of visitors. Some become dragons, others dogs, thrones or weird horses.

Our visit to Gold Butte was unforgettable not only because the place is so special, but also because we had the chance to hike and camp with Jim Boone. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Friends of Gold Butte, and a local expert on what the monument has to offer. For two days he shared with us all this beauty. On the right, our cars were parked for the night nearby ‘Little Finland’ where we camped and parted ways.

Justin and Jim walking among the incredible stone formations in ‘Little Finland’ before sunset.

Gold Butte is one of the four terrestrial national monuments listed for a possible reduction in size. It appears that the portion recommended for exclusion protects a relict forest that has been around since the last Ice Age. Follow and support the actions of Friends of Gold Butte if you wish to help. Head to our blog if you want to read an insightful interview with Jim Boone, our guide in the monument and a member of the Board of Directors of Friends of Gold Butte.