Overview

Garden Valley Road is a well-maintained dirt road that normally is suitable for 2WD vehicles. The road runs east-west across Garden Valley between Water Gap (Golden Gate Range) on the east and Mail Summit Road on the southwest (middle of Garden Valley). Across Mail Summit Road, the road continues into the Quinn Canyon Range as Pine Creek Road.

Garden Valley Road provides access to central portions of Garden Valley, including a long-distance view into Michael Heizer's land art sculpture City. Before City opens to the public, this is one of the better views available to the public.

Generally, however, this road provides only an experience of being way out in the wild and woolly Great Basin.

Link to Area Map or Road Map

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ...this road is pretty safe with no unusual hazards, but be sure that your vehicle is in good working condition, carry plenty of water (radiator and drinking), and pack a lunch. Always drive carefully; even though the road is well maintained, there are occasional hazards such as errant boulders in the roadway and mud puddles after heavy rains.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This road goes into remote areas, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials. Cell phones don't work.

Getting to the Road

Garden Valley Road is located in the central part of Basin and Range National Monument, about 3 hours (150 miles) northeast of Las Vegas driving directly, or about 1-1/2 hours (50 miles) north of the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 318.

From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate-15 21 miles to Highway 93. Turn left onto Hwy 93 and drive north past the towns of Alamo (95 miles from Las Vegas) and Ash Springs (102 miles) to the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 318 (107 miles). Gasoline is available in Alamo, Ash Springs, Rachel, and Lund.

Turn left onto Highway 318 and drive west then north for 17.4 miles to Seaman Wash Road on the left. Turn onto Seaman Wash Road and drive northwest 26.5 miles to a fork in the road (stay "straight" at all forks and side roads to this point). At the fork, stay left onto Garden Valley Road.

The Road

From the fork with Seaman Wash Road (Table 1, Site 1559), Garden Valley Road runs southwest heading out of Water Gap and into Garden Valley. The road winds through gentle curves leaving the Golden Gate Range, but after about 1.6 miles, it runs mostly straight southwest towards the Worthington Range in the far distance.

At about 3.0 miles out, a low ridge (Site 1564) along the road provides a bit of a viewpoint from which visitors can look right across some 1.7 miles of Great Basin Desert and see City in the distance. Be sure to bring binoculars.

Continuing, at about 4.7 miles out, the road forks (Site 1565) where Garden Valley Road bends right to run more due west. The left (straight) fork, Garden Valley Southeast Road, runs southwest and also connects with Mail Summit Road, but one small section can be either deep powder dust or deep mud, depending on conditions.

Staying right on Garden Valley Road, the road descends the gradual slope and bends to the right to cross Cottonwood Creek (usually dry; 6.2 miles out). Shortly thereafter (6.5 miles out), on the right ranchers dug depressions (catch basins or tanks) in the desert that catch rainwater. This is a good area to watch for wild mammals and birds.

Past the catch basins, the road bends left and begins climbing the gradual slopes towards the Quinn Canyon Range in the far distance. At about 9.8 miles out, the road passes another catch basin on the right with an old corral on the left.

At 10.3 miles out, the road bends left, then at 11.0 bends back right to resume a northwesterly direction.

At 12.8 miles out, the road curves left to cross a wash, then bends back right, and at 13.1 miles out, passes another catch basin and corral complex.

At 13.48 miles out, the road forks. Here, the main road bends left while another road continues straight. This is actually a triangular intersection. Staying left on the main road, Garden Valley Road intersects Mail Summit Road (Site 1566; 13.52 miles out).

Staying left onto Mail Summit Road for only a few yards and crossing a cattle guard, Garden Valley Road forks to the right to resume climbing towards Pine Creek Canyon in the Quinn Canyon Range.