Whitney Pockets

Whitney Pockets, also known as Whitney Pocket, is the primary campground and staging area within the Gold Butte National Monument. Just under 22 miles from the town of Bunkerville, Nevada, the primitive and remote Gold Butte area is currently being developed as a national monument. For the time being, the region is rough and desolate.

Whitney Pockets is a staging point into the area, providing some of the first glimpses of the red sandstone formations—very similar to what is in the Valley of Fire. There are also several historical structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The central point to Whitney Pockets is a large gravel parking area with a sign containing a map. From here, several dirt roads branch off in various directions, some leading to features in the area, others leading to the unmarked but abundant areas used by campers. On top of this, the pavement ends here, and most of the dirt bikers and off-road vehicles use the parking area as a staging area.

Joshua trees grow in abundance while many large colorful rock formations rise from the undulating landscape, composed in part of hardened Aztec sandstone colored tan to red by the iron mineral compounds contained within. 

An old cistern and other old structures showing signs of past use are present here, many of them built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Camping is free. Though there are no marked or developed sites, there are plenty of dirt roads and turnarounds suitable for camping. Many sites are suitable for medium-sized RVs. Due to its undeveloped and isolated nature, cars should have no issue finding available areas for camping, though visitor traffic does increase on weekends.

From Whitney Pockets' parking area, unpaved Arizona/Gold Butte Road branches off to the east, which leads to the Cistern and eventually to the trailhead for Billy Goat Peak shortly before hitting the Arizona border. The unpaved New Gold Butte Road that heads south from the parking area is the primary artery for other features within the monument such as Little Finland, Devil's Throat, and Gold Butte Townsite.

There are no trash cans, bathrooms, water, or any other amenities at Whitney Pockets. Campers are limited to a 14-day stay. There are no signs marking any roads or camping areas. Plan accordingly when visiting.