Grand Gulch Mine and Staircase

Total Miles
64.1

Elevation

1,488.91 ft

Duration

6.5 Hours

Technical Rating

4

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Fall, Winter

Trail Overview

This trail begins and ends in the heart of Whitney pockets just outside of Mesquite, Nevada. It takes you through graded two-lane roads with a few washes. Before the arrival at Grand Goldmine, there is a steep incline with some intermediate rock crawling. You could spend hours exploring the area that includes bunkhouses, blacksmith shops and some very old dump trucks. The Grand Gulch staircase was originally developed for the mule train wagons to deliver copper into Saint Thomas Nevada. The drop into it has some more minor rock crawling for about one mile. Then it is a single-land that is just wide enough for a Jeep or a large SxS, but offers some of the most fantastic scenery Arizona and Nevada have to offer. The temperatures in the summer can be extreme for both individuals and vehicles, so avoid this area during the summer.

Photos of Grand Gulch Mine and Staircase

Grand Gulch Mine and Staircase
Grand Gulch Mine and Staircase

Difficulty

Most of the lower roads could be completed in a stock suv. The exceptions are prior to the arrival at grand Goldmine is a long steep rock crawling that would require a modified vehicle or could be done in a SxS with 30" tires. Dropping into the Grand Gulch staircase is a steep descent with large rocks that need to be navigated.

Technical Rating

4

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