Death Valley National Park: Hiking

Death Valley National Park

This page contains information on hiking within Death Valley National Park in California.

Hiking

Hiked
Check our personal notes for detailed descriptions of these trails:

Badwater Basin
Distance:	2 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy
Elevation:	-282 feet below sea level	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Pit toilets available at the trailhead. The GPS Coordinates are 36 13.802N; 116 46.023W.
Description:	A walk out across a playa lake bed and salt flat at the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere.

Fall Canyon
Distance:	3 miles one way	Rating:	Moderately Strenuous
Elevation:	N/A	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Titus Canyon Mouth parking area, 3 miles off Scotty's Castle Road, on graded gravel road. Pit toilets available at the trailhead. The GPS Coordinates are 36 49.308N; 117 10.456W.
Description:	Spectacular wilderness canyon near Titus Canyon. Follow informal path .5 miles north along the base of the mountains, then drop into a large wash at the canyon's mouth, then hike 2.5 miles up the canyon to a 35 foot dry waterfall. No marked trail.

Golden Canyon / Gower Gulch Loop Trail
Distance:	6.4 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy to Moderate
Elevation:	-155 feet	Total Ascent:	300 feet.
Trailhead:	Golden Canyon parking area, 2 miles south of Highway 190 on Badwater Road. Pit toilets available at the trailhead. The GPS Coordinates are 36 25.242N; 116 50.820W.
Description:	Easy trail through a colorful canyon. This hike includes a short .5 mile round trip side trip to the Red Cathedral. At trail junction either climb up to Zabriskie Point or return to trailhead via Gower Gulch. See old borax mines. Two easy dry falls must be scrambled down.

Keane Wonder Mine and Mill Trail
Distance:	1.3 miles one way	Rating:	Strenuous
Elevation:	1,405 feet.	Total Ascent:	1,500 feet
Trailhead:	Keane Wonder Mill parking area, 3 miles off Beatty Cutoff Road, on a graded gravel road. Map Coordinates (NAD83): 36 40.147N; 116 54.545W.
Description:	Steep, narrow trail from the mill ruins to the mine 1,500 feet in elevation above. Sweeping views of Death Valley. Do not enter any mines as they are unstable and hazardous.

Mosaic Canyon
Distance:	4 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy to Moderate
Elevation:	N/A	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Mosaic Canyon parking area, 2 miles from Stovepipe Wells Village on graded gravel road. The GPS Coordinates are 36. 34.325N; 117 08.675W.
Description:	Popular walk up a narrow, polished marble-walled canyon. First .5 miles is the narrowest section. Some slickrock scrambling necessary.

Natural Bridge Canyon
Distance:	2 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy
Elevation:	N/A	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Natural Bridge parking area, 1.5 miles off Badwater Road on a gravel road, 13.2 miles south of Highway 190. The GPS Coordinates are 36 16.863N; 116 46.197W.
Description:	Uphill walk through a narrow canyon. Large natural bridge at .5 miles from trailhead. The trail ends at a dry waterfall.

Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
Distance:	.5 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy
Elevation:	-248 feet	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Salt Creek parking area, 1 mile off of Highway 190 on graded gravel road, 13.5 miles north of Furnace Creek. Pit toilets available at the trailhead. The GPS Coordinates are 36 35.437N; 116 59.408W.
Description:	A boardwalk along a small stream. Good viewing of the rare pupfish and other wildlife. Best in late winter or early spring.

Scotty's Castle Walking Tour
Distance:	N/A	Rating:	Easy to Moderate
Elevation:	2,992 feet.	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	From Scotty's Castle parking area. Map Coordinates (NAD83): 37 01.936N; 117 20.486W.
Description:	This is a casual walk through the grounds of the Castle to the various out buildings and Windy Point.

Stovepipe Wells (Mesquite Flat) Sand Dunes
Distance:	2 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy to Moderate
Elevation:	N/A	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	2. miles east of Stovepipe Wells on Highway 190. Park along the road.
Description:	Graceful desert dunes, numerous animal tracks. Walk cross-country to 100 foot high dunes. Best in morning or afternoon for dramatic light. Also good for full moon hikes. No marked trail. Pick your own trail and explore the dunes. Just keep track of the trailhead.

Titus Canyon
Distance:	26 miles one way	Rating:	Easy to Moderate
Elevation:	N/A	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Titus Canyon Mouth parking area, 3 miles off Scotty's Castle Road, on graded gravel road. Pit toilets available at the trailhead. The GPS Coordinates for the trailhead are 36 49.308N; 117 10.456W. The GPS Coordinates for the beginning of the Titus Canyon Road are 36 51.552N; 116 50.776W.
Description:	This trail can be driven or hiked. The narrows are in the lower 1.5 miles of the canyon, nearest the trailhead. The Klare Springs Petroglyphs are at 6.5 miles up the canyon, or continue farther to the ghost town of Leadfield. The driving route is one way from the east, in Nevada, to the mouth of the canyon.

Ubehebe Crater / Little Hebe Crater Loop Trail
Distance:	1.5 mile loop	Rating:	Moderate
Elevation:	2,606 feet.	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Ubehebe Crater parking area, 8 miles west of Scotty's Castle. Map Coordinates (NAD83): 37 00.643N; 117 27.320W.
Description:	Volcanic craters and elaborate erosion. Hike along the rim of Ubehebe Crater to Little Hebe and several other craters.

Zabriskie Point Trail
Distance:	.25 miles round trip	Rating:	Easy
Elevation:	N/A	Total Ascent:	N/A
Trailhead:	Restrooms are available at the trailhead.
Description:	A brief climb from the parking lot to an overlook above colorful badlands.

Not Hiked

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This page was last updated Sunday, June 7, 2009