Rocky Gap/Potato Ridge Road

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4.6/5 (25 reviews)
Las Vegas, Nevada (Clark County)
Last Updated: 12/24/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

Altitude Category Icon Altitude
Desert Category Icon Desert
Iconic Category Icon Iconic
Rock Category Icon Rock
Sand Category Icon Sand
Scenic Category Icon Scenic
Snow Wheeling Category Icon Snow Wheeling
Rocky Gap (also known as Potato Ridge), a favorite of local off-roaders, is located in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area that starts just off of Scenic Loop Drive and continues to Lovell Canyon Road. This can be a challenging off-road trail depending on the season and the vehicle driven. There are bypasses for all of the obstacles except for one particularly rocky wash, which gives the trail its name. There is beautiful scenery to be seen during the drive. Evergreens, canyon and rocky landscapes are just some of the views.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Rocky Gap (Potato Ridge) Road is located in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area starts as a dirt road and gains in altitude from either direction. There are multiple optional washes with rock gardens to explore and have fun in. A majority of the road is comprised of dirt and gravel with scattered small to medium rocks. There are multiple intersecting washes filled with rock gardens to be explored. Near the middle of the trail, there is a rock garden that cannot be bypassed. The trail continues to change with the seasons and the traffic. Cellphone service was not available for most of the trip. We currently use Verizon. As always, please tread lightly. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen in the summer.

Trail Reviews

4.6/5 (25)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 11/11/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

First off, I LOVE THIS TRAIL! It has everything you could ask for in a single day trail. Remoteness (no cell signal on the WHOLE trail), but easy to get to; as challenging as you want to make it (more on that later) and great scenery! The main trail is essentially fire road except at the top, where I'm guessing the name comes from. The wash that the road follows is a super fun rock garden extravaganza! I'm definitely calling out the rating on this one, but only the "optional" end (currently 6). If you go looking for it (not that hard) you'll find yourself face to face with a spot that definitely warrants a 7 rating and might realistically be an 8. I've included a couple photos and in our video you can really get a good look at it. I realize most folks aren't going to tackle that monster, but the rating should still reflect that it's there. Oh, and definitely run the trail from west to east, as it's numbered here. It saves a lot of hassle and a little money, and it just makes sense.
Trail Review: Rocky Gap/Potato Ridge Road - Jason Ethridge
Trail Review: Rocky Gap/Potato Ridge Road - Jason Ethridge
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200
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/17/2023

Trail is way way way harder with 6” of snow on the ground. IF YOU GO DURING THE WINTER have people with you!!! I went by myself and a friend and we slid off a 10ft embankment and nearly flipped the Jeep. I’m running 37” AT3s and the traction was great at 15PSI.. it looked like the trail was washed out under the snow which caused us to slide off. Luckily there’s an area that’s sorta flat and I drove out through there. The ledge was too steep so we needed to use recovery boards in order to get out The rocky garden was insanely difficult with the snow.. at one point there was no tire tracks at all and fresh powder snow..Luckily there’s an area that’s sorta flat and I drove out through there. The ledge was too steep so we needed to use recovery boards in order to get out.
Open
Visited: 01/04/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Took a Group of 3 Yesterday, JT on 40s, JL on 35s and a 100% Stock JL, We did the Wash until the V Notch then exited onto the Fire Road,
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19400
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 12/24/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

We didn't expect a lot from Rocky Gap, we were simply aiming to complete it while on a road trip. Thankfully, we were mistaken. The beginning wasn't too rough, though several washouts in the first few miles were made even more sketchy by the small amount of snow present. One washout was snowy enough that we drifted through until regaining traction. The rock garden in the middle was a bit more than was expected based on the pics and video. With our shorter wheelbase (103 inches) we were able to avoid most of the rocks. The one optional line we took in to rock garden took a few tries, but our lockers weren't needed. After the rock garden, we continued to climb, and were rewarded with plenty of beautiful views. We completed the trail in approximately 2 hours. Overall, the trail was just challenging enough to be interesting, and had enough views to make the challenges worth it. This trail is definitely worth the journey, and one we'd be happy to do again.
Trail Review: Rocky Gap/Potato Ridge Road - Jasmine & Jon Hughes
Trail Review: Rocky Gap/Potato Ridge Road - Jasmine & Jon Hughes
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Open
Visited: 11/16/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Apparently this is a Jeep Badge of Honor Trail which I didn't know at the time I ran it. I am not a local and just thought is was a fun scenic trail. The rock garden was the most challenging but not too bad. I ran it alone and I really didn't need any spotter but I have 37 inch tires so I imagine that is why.

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