Hi The easiest way to get there from Vegas via the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, which is about 10 miles north of Vegas on the 95. Just east of the Corn Creek Visitor Center is the Alamo Road. Turn north and it will take you to the lake bed. Once you leave the visitor center you will be on dirt roads. The road names are kinds tricky as different maps will have different names for the same road. Also most car GPS systems will not have accurate maps for remote areas. I use GAIA GPS maps and download them to my tablet (which has GPS). Though it's a pretty straight route from the south be careful not to take a spur by mistake, especially one that heads NW. The area borders a bombing range and Area 51. I always carry proper paper topographic maps of the areas I'm off roading in. The BLM Land Office is a great place to get them and they only charge a few bucks. There is one located just off Rancho Drive (which turns into the 95) at 4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr. They also have a lot of info on things to see in the area. Road conditions are pretty good, mostly well maintained. However there is always a chance that a road could have been washout etc. The south side of the lake bed has been known to have slick mud after rain. I wouldn't take a Prius but any SUV or truck with decent clearance and traction control should be good enough. Do carry something to put under the wheels in case of sand or mud. Also be prepared. Even if you are only planning a day trip being enough food and water to last a few days, shit happens and there is no AAA. Temps at night will get down to the low 30's this time of year. You can make a good loop in a day (albeit a long day) by continuing north to the Pahranagat Preserve or Badger Valley. and taking the 93 south back to Vegas. North of the lake bed the nroad does have some rough patches, not bad though, I never needed to go into 4WD. My Jeep is in the shop now, if it wasn't I'd offer to guide you. That area is one of my favorites around LV.

@@RickZackExploreOffroad Thanks so much. I'll make sure to take no chance and have topo maps in hand.

It does appear that you most assuredly took a wrong turn :) Here is a link to my writeup of the the trail on TrailsOffroad. The road is pretty well maintained so there should be no major changes. www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/2830-badger-valley-loop-nevada The turn off for the petroglyphs is at Waypoint 7. About a 1/4 mile south of WP 6. If you zoom in to WP 7 you can see a a short road that ends in a loop. Further access from that point is closed to motor vehicles. The petroglyphs are located a short walk west, on the east facing bluffs. You can download the GPS coordinates but I believe they now require a subscription.

@@RickZackExploreOffroad Thanks so much! I will check it out!

Boy was I WAY off! Thanks for the map. I’ll try to get out there again soon. BTW - if you find yourself out near Pahrump look me up. I’d like to buy you a drink… Zack too!

More then likely if you travelled via Warm Springs Canyon. I wouldn't attempt it via Gower Wash. There are a few areas where the road is rutted and uneven so clearance may be an issue, but selecting the right line should be enough to counteract it. Tires are an important consideration since there are a few patches with soft sand. High profile AT tires are a must. I never had to go into 4WD on the way to the cabin but a lot depends on what specific AWD vehicle is used. Arrival, departure and break over angles are important and they vary greatly from model to model. Just remember to bring a spare, emergency supplies, recovery gear and check in with the ranger station. If you get stuck you may have to spend a few days before someone happens by.

Hi, yes. They are built to order so you can pretty much have them built to any level.

It's Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. This particular cut was done by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with the Kiev Symphony Chorus and the Children's Choir of Greater Cincinnati. Erich Kunzel was the conductor.

Wide range of tunes: Grateful Dead to 1812 Overture. Love it. Keep the videos and music coming !!

It is on many different maps that show the backroads in the park. The USGS and Park Service is a good place to start. Look for Butte Valley, Warm Springs Camp (Canyon), Mengal Pass and Goler Wash. The cabin is west of the main "road" just south of the Butte. I use generally use BLM topographic maps for a hard copy map. They can be purchased for a few bucks at any BLM land office. There is one located in Pahrump, NV. For digital maps I prefer GAIA GPS. They have a wide range of maps (USGS, BLM, sat and even historical ones) that can be downloaded to your device for use off grid. Topographic maps are also available at the Furnace Creek Visiter Center.

Thanks Allen. I've only had it since 2018. The last time I saw any of the reincarnations of the Dead was the Dead & Company in 2017.

Their chances may have been better, but as it played out they still would have died. The vehicle was spotted during an aerial surveillance about 3 months after they got stuck. They would have been dead for months at that point. The only difference was the bodies would have been recovered sooner. The only reasonable chance they had would have been to walk the few miles back to the Geologist Cabin. There they would have had a limitless supply of water, enough food to last a few weeks (with the opportunity to get more). It is also just off the main road going through Butte Valley and is fairly popular with off roaders. The Park Service also patrols it on a fairly regular basis, once or twice a month. Staying with the vehicle is generally a good rule of thumb, but in this case, being on a remote spur with only one way in or out it would not be. Walking was their best option, unfortunately they walked in the wrong direction.

@@RickZackExploreOffroad exactly. Should have stayed at the Cabin they got the flag from and waited for visitors

@@pepperachu All speculations, but I am sure that the Wife wanted to stay or at least go back to the Cabins. But the Husband insisted & decided to "move on". What a tragedy.

Ha!. No it is definitely not roughing it. But hey I'm 65 years old and like sleeping on a mattress warm and cozy, away from the the scorpions and snakes. The biggest advantage is it allows me to outfit myself for 2 weeks in the bush as opposed to 5 days in the Jeep alone.

Thanks. I added a tongue extender that solved the horizontal clearance issue, the tire carrier now clears the silver utility box. However my issue now is the weight. When I open the tire carrier the weight of the spare, fuel cans, and hi-lift jack causes the suspension to sag to the point I need to manual lift the the spare carrier over the tongue. It is still a pain a it weighs over 160 lbs. I will replace the tire carrier that now hinged on the bumper with one attached to the tail gate. This involves beefing up the tailgate hinges but it will raise the whole assembly a few inches.

So far it has held up pretty well. The only maintenance I have done is squirting some grease in the applicable zerk fittings.

@@RickZackExploreOffroad got it thanks!

Hey.. It is well worth the trip. And it is a good place for stargazing. You can almost read by the Milky Way!

I'm into it for about 16K. The base price is about 5K but all the off road stuff adds up. It sounds like a lot but in reality it is at the lower end for off road trailers. campers like the Patriot will go as high as 50K.

Yes I'm still happy with it, no real complaints. The kitchen setup is here. www.basspro.com/shop/en/cabelas-deluxe-camp-kitchen