Little Finland and Gold Butte National Monument

Little Finland is a little visited area of strangely eroded Aztec Sandstone in Gold Butte National Monument, Nevada. The area is not named after the country Finland, but rather after the many small fins of rock throughout the area. Little Finland is also known as Devil's Fire. The closest town to Little Finland with good services is Mesquite, Nevada. The drive to Little Finland from Mesquite requires a high clearance 4WD vehicle and takes about two hours. From Mesquite take I15 South to exit 112 and continue 3.1 miles on NV-170 / Riverside Rd. Turn right onto the good gravel Gold Butte Road and proceed 21.1 miles to Whitney Pockets. The rock formations and the CC dam and storage room are worth a brief stop here. At Whitney pockets bear right staying on Gold Butte Road. Continue 3.9 miles to the heavily washboarded Mud Wash N Road. There is a sign indicating the turnoff to Little Finland at this otherwise easily missed turnoff. Take Mud Wash N Rd 4.4 miles and bear right onto Mud Wash Road. You might want to stop at Devil's Nostril 1.1 miles along the way. Devil's Nostril is a sinkhole formed when the roof of a limestone cave collapsed. Take Mud Wash Rd 2.7 miles and turn right onto Little Finland Rd. Continue on Little Finland Rd about 1.5 miles to its end at the Little Finland plateau on the cliffs to the left.

The Little Finland tableland can be accessed by hiking up the sand dune to the left (north side) of the cliffs. Shooting close with a wide-angle lens will emphasize the oddly shaped formations. The white patterns on the floor of the plateau make good leading lines. The white areas are formed by water leaching out the iron from the Aztec sandstone. Good photos can also be had shooting from the parking area with a telephoto lens. The Heart Arch image to the right was taken from the parking area with a 300mm lens. There are hills blocking early light to the east of Little Finland so photography is best at sunset when the Aztec Sandstone takes on a rich red glow. Rather than drive Mud Wash Rd in the dark I suggest you camp at the parking area.


Google Map of Little Finland and Gold Butte National Monument


The following map shows the route to Little Finland, a few of the attractions in the area, and the location of a few of the many campsites in Gold Butte National Monument.


Little Finland Map

To view the map in Google Maps please click anywhere on the map above.

Caltopo Map showing various Points of Interest

In addition to the Google Map of Little Finland I have added a Caltopo Map. Caltopo maps show land ownership which is very important if you plan to boondock. You do not want to camp on private land, and US Forest Service and BLM camping regulations are often different. Caltopo maps are also preferable for off-trail hiking since they show ten feet elevation contours and terrain slope shading.

USGS 24K Topo Maps

Little Finland and Gold Butte National Monument are covered by two USGS 24K topographic maps.

Geo Tiff/Avenza KMZ Oruxmaps KMZ Decollared Oruxmap Decollared Avenza Decollared
Devils Throat KMZ Oruxmap KMZ Decollared Oruxmap Decollared Avenza Decollared
Whitney Pocket KMZ Oruxmap KMZ Decollared Oruxmap Decollared Avenza Decollared
Map of the entire area NA NA KMZ Decollared Oruxmap Decollared Avenza Decollared


Laughing Donkey Rock Formation in Little Finland, Nevada

Laughing Donkey

Heart Arch in Little Finland, Nevada

Heart Arch