Bunkerville Choo Choo 2.0

An enjoyable trail into the Virgin Mountain foothills.  Visit Government Spring, two old mines, The Seeps, Keyhole Rock and the Bunkerville Choo Choo.
It was part of a Choo Choo sometime in the distant past, but it is now being used to store stock water for cattle that are grazing the area.

This description is in a counterclockwise direction, but the trail can be run either way.

​There is a GPS - gpx track file at the bottom of the page.
Picture
Bunkerville Choo Choo
Begin on a smooth gravel road and head up into the Virgin Mountains foothills.  Much of this first section burned in 2005, but is recovering slowly.

The first stop is Government Springs, one of many stock water improvements made to allow cattle to graze the area.  We found it interesting because of the large open tank, and because of the trickle of water presumably coming from Government Spring.  We did not find the actual spring.
Picture
Government Spring tank
Picture
Water flow into Government Spring tank
Continue along the track and visit two old mines.

​Key West Mine produced copper, gold and nickel at various times in its history.  Great Eastern Mine produced primarily nickel and copper.
Picture
Key West Mine
Picture
Great Eastern Mine
The Seeps is a canyon that previously had a series of ledge steps with a degree of difficulty.  There had been a tremendous flood prior to our 2018 visit that completely covered the ledge steps with gravel from the wash upstream.  Future storms may expose the steps again, but for now it is an easy passage.

This wall protrudes into the canyon farther down the drainage.
Picture
The Seeps
Picture
Canyon below The Seeps
The trail passes below the majestic Bunkerville Ridge and some weird looking rocks.  Note the small arch in the rocks.
Picture
Bunkerville Ridge
Picture
Weird rocks
Keyhole Rock is just off the main trail.  Only a short scramble up into it.
Picture
Keyhole Rock
Picture
View from Keyhole Rock
The last attraction of the run is the Bunkerville Choo Choo.  A new water line had just been installed from the canyon above, possibly all the way from Hen Spring a mile away.

​Start away on a ridgeline road and eventually end the day in Mesquite.
Picture
Coal hopper of old Choo Choo
Picture
Headed out
Page updated 2018.
bunkerville_choo_choo_2.0.gpx
File Size: 299 kb
File Type: gpx
Download File