Coyote Springs Road to Gold Point Ghost Town — Esmeralda County Desert Spine via Lida Junction
Ghost town Nevada. No crowds, no services.
Drop south out of Goldfield on US-95 and pick up the network of gravel county roads that angle through the Stonewall Mountain volcanic field toward Gold Point — a silver and gold mining camp that boomed in the 1880s and again in the 1920s and has been slowly dying and reviving ever since. The town itself is still occupied by a handful of people and functions as a loose ghost town destination with original buildings, rusted equipment, and an old jail that looks like it hasn’t changed in a century. The route through Coyote Springs wash crosses open playa, lava bench, and creosote flats — classic Basin and Range Nevada with no guardrails between you and the horizon.
The road is passable for most high-clearance 2WD trucks in dry conditions, but the washes after rain become soft sand traps and the lava bench sections are sharp on tires. A stock 4WD with decent all-terrain rubber is the comfortable call. Spring and fall are ideal — summer heat in this part of Nevada regularly cracks 105°F. No permits, no fees. Water and fuel must be carried from Goldfield; Gold Point has nothing reliable. Cell service is absent throughout. This is a legitimate piece of the Great Basin that most Nevada overlanders skip entirely.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, High Clearance, Overland Route |
| Surface | Dirt, Gravel, Mixed, Sand |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 42 mi / 67.6 km |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Max elevation (ft) | 5700 ft |
| Best season | March-May, September-November |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD recommended |
| Nearest town | Goldfield, NV |
| Land manager | BLM Tonopah Field Office |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | BLM Tonopah Field Office |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
No recent condition reports. Be the first to post one.
Log in to post a condition report.
Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Tacoma or 4Runner handle this trail, or do I need a built rig?
A stock high-clearance 4WD like a Tacoma or 4Runner handles this fine under dry conditions. The mixed dirt, gravel, and sand surface doesn't demand lockers or a lift — just don't bring a Subaru or any 2WD street truck.
Is this trail passable in summer or should I stick to the recommended seasons?
Summer is brutal out here — Esmeralda County desert heat regularly pushes past 100°F with zero shade and no services for 42 miles. Stick to March–May or September–November; a breakdown in July is a genuine survival situation, not an inconvenience.
Do I need a permit to run this trail or camp along it?
No permit required — this is BLM land managed by the Tonopah Field Office and dispersed camping is allowed. Standard Leave No Trace rules apply; if you're unsure about anything, check directly with BLM Tonopah before you go.
What's the hardest section of the route and what should I actually expect?
The trail is rated moderate and there's no single gnarly obstacle section, but sandy stretches can get loose and rutted depending on recent traffic and wind. The bigger challenge is the remoteness — 42 miles with zero services means a mechanical issue becomes a multi-hour or multi-day problem fast.
How much fuel do I need, and is there any water along the route?
There is no water or fuel on this trail — fill your tank in Goldfield before you leave and carry all drinking water you'll need. With 42 miles of dirt running and no bailout services, budget fuel conservatively and carry a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day plus emergency reserve.
Trail track
No GPX track for this trail yet. If you've driven it and have a track, contribute below.
Log in to contribute a GPX track.