Ireteba Wash Route

Ireteba Wash Route is an informal out-and-back from the end of Rockefeller Mine Road to Sitting Rock. Plan on 3.68 miles round trip, about 1.84 miles each way, and roughly 3–4 hours. The route climbs about 500 feet to a flat boulder perched above the wash, with views toward Lake Mohave and Ireteba Peak. Much of the walk follows loose sand or a fading old road rather than a marked trail, so it suits hikers comfortable navigating remote desert terrain.

The start is an unmarked broad wash at the end of the smaller road off Rockefeller Mine Road. The final drive is rough, sandy and remote, with no services; high clearance is recommended, and four-wheel drive is safer when the sand is soft. A Lake Mead recreation pass is required, but no wilderness backcountry permit is required. Carry all your water and plan around desert heat; shade is occasional and mostly where the wash narrows.

The initial 0.23 mile is described as crossing a private parcel before a survey monument marks the return to wilderness. Public right-of-way for that short section has not been verified. Confirm legal access with the land managers before setting out. Pets are prohibited in Ireteba Peaks Wilderness.

Walk north past the wooden barriers. The old mining road climbs gradually to a low ridge, then crosses a wash beside a dark hill; around 0.4 mile its sandy tread briefly disappears before reappearing near the hill. Once the road fades for good, follow the main wash upstream. At the fork about 1.19 miles out, stay right; the left branch leads toward a mining prospect. The wash gets narrower and sandier, with some shade from its walls. At about 1.78 miles, pass a low pour-over, continue roughly 0.06 mile, then climb the north bank to Sitting Rock. Turn around and return the same way.

The route ends at a broad, flat rock on an outcrop. From there, the view reaches southeast toward Lake Mohave and west toward Ireteba Peak. For a useful photo, keep the rock in the foreground and include the wash running toward the distant water. Teddy-bear cholla and California barrel cactus grow along the wash and rocky slopes. The wider wilderness takes its name from Ireteba, a Mohave leader who guided Lt. J.C. Ives; its surrounding ridges include volcanic rock and granite outcrops.