Gold Butte National Monument protects nearly 297,000 acres of desert in southern Nevada, forming part of a broad conserved corridor between Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Created on December 28, 2016, under the Antiquities Act after a two-year campaign, it preserves striking red sandstone formations, a long record of human presence, and important wildlife habitat, especially for the threatened Mojave Desert tortoise. The area also contains evidence of ranching, mining, and the ghost town of Gold Butte. Federal protection followed growing damage to cultural and historic sites, while recreation remains allowed and industrial development is barred.