I visited an area in Lake Mead, Nevada known as Little Finland over Thanksgiving break. It is a small plateau that contains some incredibly bizarre and delicate sandstone formations. The formations make for some interesting photography subjects near dawn or dusk. The rock is uniform in color so it is not as interesting as the Coyote Buttes area to the northwest, but the rocks themselves are photogenic. The sandstone has eroded into very delicate fins, box work, and pock-marked canyon faces. There are also many crevices and small caves reminiscent of Valley of the Fire.
The area of Little Finland is small enough to explore in a couple of hours. But careful exploration will take longer. Keep an eye out for petroglyphs while you explore.
The plateau Little Finland is located on contains three separate little canyons. Some you can explore all the way to the top while others are too steep and require more navigation. The far left and far right canyons provide the easiest access up and down the entire plateau. Some of my favorite rocks were toward the top of the left branch of the canyon. The entire face looked like Swiss cheese.
Photography tips
The coolest formations are toward the base of the plateau. This means they will not be in sun near sunset or sunrise. Take silhouettes here. The top of the canyon will be the first and last part to get light. The top part of the canyon has more little arches and alcoves to photograph.
Little Finland would be fantastic for star photography but access to the plateau is difficult in the dark. The terrain is very uneven and the rock is very sharp! I cut my finger on one rock and sliced a hole in my coat on another. So astrophotographers beware! Bring lots of light to get to and from the plateau in the dark.
Getting There
The trip to Little Finland requires a lengthy drive across bumpy dirt roads and even an excursion through a wash so an AWD drive vehicle with some clearance is necessary to reach it. We did it in a BMW X3 so most AWD vehicles will be fine. It takes about 1:45 minutes from I-15 to reach Little Finland. Take exit 113 (Hwy 170) off of I-15 and go about 3 miles east, just crossing the Virgin River. Then turn right (south) onto Gold Butte Road toward Whitney Pockets. This road is “paved” but often the surface is missing. Drive about 28 miles south on the road until reaching Whitney Pockets. The dirt road forks and take the fork toward Gold Butte. Drive 6 miles or so (passing the first sign for Mud Wash) before seeing a right turn onto a narrow dirt road marked Devil’s Throat. Stay right at the fork and head down to Mud Wash. You will reach Mud Wash in about 3 miles after taking this right turn. Once in the wash, just follow tire tracks down the wash. You will reach an old corral on the right in about 2 miles. Continue past the corral and watch for a road making a sharp turn to the right in about 2 miles. Follow this road for a mile and a half or so as it doubles back and parallels Mud Wash. Drive until you see a fence line on your left and some palm trees along the base of the plateau. This is Little Finland.
Accessing the plateau is a little tricky. A steep cliff guards the main rim so access is from either the left or right side. The near entrance is the easiest access. Park in the wash and walk up a small incline to the fence line just to the left of the palm trees. There is a small entrance in the fence, and once through it, you are free to explore the plateau to the right. You can also access the plateau via a second entrance a few hundred yards past this one. Drive around a small hillside just 200 yards further down the wash. Park here and you will see a second fence line above you. After walking through a gate in the fence, turn right and walk along a small wash for about 200 feet. You will see the hillside on the left sloping downward toward you. Turn left at this point and head up onto the plateau. At this point, most of the best formations are just to your left.
To catch first and last light on the rocks, I recommend camping along the wash. There are several flat areas along the base of the Little Finland plateau. I would not recommend leaving the area near dusk as driving the wash in the dark would be hazardous.
