Note (Fall 2024): It seems that the NPS no longer maintains Wild Horse Road. It is rocky, washed out, and shrubs are growing into the roadway.

Overview

Wild Horse Road is a graded dirt road that forms a 11.5-mile semi-circle off the west side of Black Canyon Road. That is, the road runs west from Black Canyon Road just south of Hole in the Wall, curves north, then eventually returns east past Mid Hills Campground and returns to the northern end of Black Canyon Road.

This road provides access to Wild Horse Trailhead, Mid Hills Campground, the Mid Hills Trailhead, several hikes, several primitive campsites, and several dirt-road driving adventures.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about being in the desert, ... the road generally is well maintained and passable in sedans, but the road is subject to washouts. In particular, in the section about 2 miles out that runs in a sandy wash. The Preserve tries to maintain this section, bit it can become a bit soft with sandy humps in the center of the road that could drag on sedans. Going downhill in such a situation (north to south) is better than trying to go uphill.

While out in the desert, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, the area is remote, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Road

This road is located in Mojave National Preserve, about 2 hours south of Las Vegas. From town, drive south to Hole in the Wall Ranger Station. Continue south on Black Canyon Road for XXXX miles to Wild Horse Road, on the right.

The Road

From Black Canyon Road (Table 1, Site 0834), Wild Horse Road runs southwest across the open desert climbing towards a low gap in the Mid Hills. This area burned in the 2005 Hackberry Fire, but the vegetation is slowly recovering.

After crossing over the crest of the Mid Hills, the road descends gradually to a 4-way intersection (Site 0835) at about 2.0 miles out. To the right, an access road runs north into Mid Hills Campground. To the left, an access road runs a few yards to the Mid Hills Trailhead where the Mid Hill Loop Trail and the Mid Hills to Hole-in-the-Wall Trail head off to the south.