Plan with
Confidence
Approximate season of use is mid-May through October, depending on snow levels and road conditions.
Path Type
Point to Point
This trail is on a single-lane BLM road that is shared with horses, cars, and ATVs. This is not a strict hike, and you can "pick your own adventure" by parking at various spots along the road, and hiking up or down from the car. For an easier route, park at the top of the butte, and hike back down the road. For a more difficult hike, park at the start of the trail, and rhx from the base of the butte to the summit.
It is highly recommended you have four wheel drive to access this trail. It is about an hour drive from Atomic City to the base of butte, and in good weather can be done in a two wheel drive car. I would recommend using OpenStreetMap (osm.org) to navigate to "Big Southern Butte". If you plan to drive up the Butte at all, four wheel drive is mandatory.
Some Issues
Make sure to drive to Atomic city and come up on the south side of the butte. No public access from the east or north. There was some snow along the trail, but dirt bikes and atv were fine getting up. there is enough snow at the top that if you want to hike to the top, you have to go a little off trail to make it.
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