Piute Valley Trail - Gulch Road

Piute Valley Trail-Gulch Road offers a desert escape through the beautiful Piute Valley, with the Piute Range as a backdrop. Much of the trail borders the Mojave National Preserve and Mojave Wilderness, providing a natural desert expanse to enjoy. Intersecting along the are Route 66 and the Mojave Road. A short drive up the old Mojave Road leads to Fort Piute and its still-running creek supporting a lush green oasis of cottonwoods and surrounded by the towering mountains of the Piute Gorge.  Fort Piute was originally built in 1867 to provide military escorts to the mail carriers traveling the Mojave Road, but was abandoned only 6 months later when the mail route was changed. Significant Fort ruins remain, providing a glimpse of what life was like for the 18 soldiers stationed there. Hiking trails starting at the Fort follow the old Mojave Road and lead to ancient petroglyphs carved by indians who lived in the area.  A portion of Mojave Road was rerouted along 1.3 miles of Piute Valley Trail to protect the sensitive habitat of the Piute Gorge.

The best dispersed camping is around Fort Piute, about 18 miles south of the south end of the trail. Here, large flat areas with rock fire rings can be found, providing wonderful views over the eastern Mojave Desert.  Another good dispersed camping site is around the Tenmile Well site, with its aging corral and water pump about 8.5 miles from the northern end of the trail.

The vast majority of the Piute Valley Trail is easy over a sandy desert floor with occasional ruts and dips across the trail. A two-wheel drive with some clearance will manage this trail fine. However, the 2-mile path up to Fort Piute is extremely rugged, full of melon-sized rocks, not maintained, and will require a 4x4 with high clearance.