Northwest Passage

Total Miles
21.6

Elevation

488.00 ft

Duration

3.75 Hours

Technical Rating

5

Moderate

Best Time

Summer, Fall

Trail Overview

Northwest Passage is a fairly easy Jeep trail south of I-40. Visit one old and one active mine and do some mild rock crawling in a wash. The trail can be run in any direction, but doing the loop clockwise gets the more mundane part out of the way first. This trail leaves Highway 95, does a loop then returns to Highway 95 a few miles to the south. Start by paralleling the highway for a bit then turning and climbing up toward the powerline. Follow north along the powerline until you come to a spur leading to the Gold Speck Mine. Shown as the lead photo on this page. This was active in April 2017. Continue north along the powerline then make a loop through the open desert and turn back to the south. Heading south along the eastern side of the loop will take you through a wash with a few minor challenges, including a squeeze just wide enough for a JK Jeep to get through. There are a few extra credits for more adventurous souls. This track will take you on a short loop through the old Boulder Mine. Not much left except an old stove and a few tin cans. Complete the loop and head back on the same road you came in on. Head south down the pictured hill and then down a wash until you connect back to Highway 95. We did this in April 2017 and the wash heading south to Highway 95 had a lot of washboarding. It was terrible in a Jeep.

Photos of Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage

Difficulty

Uneven, rutted dirt trail with loose rocks, sand, erosion, and washes. Potential water crossings up to 18" deep, mud holes, and obstacles up to 2 feet, including ledges and short, steep grades.

Technical Rating

5

Status Reports

There are no status reports yet for this trail.

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