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Furnace Creek Area
Golden Canyon Interpretive Trail
- Length: 1 mile, one-way.
- Starting Point: Golden Canyon parking area, 2 miles
south of Hwy 190 on the Badwater Road.
- Description: Easy, self-guided trail through colorful
canyon. Red Cathedral located 0.5 mile up canyon from
last numbered trail marker.
Gower Gulch Loop
- Length: 4 miles round-trip.
- Starting Point: Golden Canyon parking area, 2 miles
south of Hwy 190 on the Badwater Road.
- Description: Colorful badlands, canyon narrows,
old borax mines. Follow posts with reflective arrows
from stop #10 in Golden Canyon 2 more miles to Zabriskie
Point, or at the trail junction past Manly Beacon,
follow rock cairns down side drainage to Gower Gulch
and then down the Gulch to finish the loop. Two easy
dryfalls must be scrambled down in Gower Gulch.
- Moderate hike.
- DANGER: Hiking this loop during the summer is not
recommended.
Desolation Canyon
- Length: 1 mile, one-way.
- Starting Point: End of left fork Desolation Canyon
Road, (not marked, look closely for it) 3.7 miles
south of Hwy. 190 on Badwater road.
- Description: Narrow canyon through colorful badlands.
From road's end, drop into main wash heading south.
Hike up canyon, keeping to right at the forks.
Natural Bridge Canyon
- Length: 1 mile, round-trip.
- Starting Point: Natural Bridge parking area, 1.5
miles off the Badwater Road on graded dirt road, 13.2
miles south of Hwy 190.
- Description: Moderate uphill walk through narrow
canyon. Large natural bridge at 0.3 mi. Trail ends
at dry waterfall.
Badwater Salt Flat
- Length: 0.5 miles to edge, 5 miles across.
- Starting Point: Badwater parking area, 17 miles
south of Hwy 190 on the Badwater Road.
- Description: Level walk across lowest place in the
Western Hemisphere. Crust of salt crystals may be
covered with temporary lake after rain storms. Watch
out for muddy areas.
No Trail
- CAUTION: Do Not hike this area during hot months!
Harmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail
- Length: 0.25 mile, round-trip; for a longer hike,
walk the 1 mile bicycle path along Hwy 190 from Furnace
Creek.
- Starting Point: Harmony Borax Works parking area,
1 mile north of Furnace Creek on Hwy 190.
- Description: Easy paved trail loops around ruins
of 1880's borax processing plant. Interpretive signs
along trail tell the story of what you are seeing.
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
- Length: 0.5 mile round-trip.
- Starting Point: Salt Creek parking area, 1 mile
off Hwy. 190, 13.5 miles north of Furnace Creek.
- Description: Easy, self guided trail on a boardwalk
over small stream. Good for viewing rare pupfish and
other wildlife. Best in late winter/early spring.
Sand Dunes
- Length: 2 miles, one-way.
- Starting Point: Sand Dunes parking area, 2.2 miles
east of Stovepipe Wells, Hwy 190.
- Description: Graceful desert dunes, numerous animal
tracks. Walk cross-country to 120 ft. high dunes.
Best in morning or afternoon for dramatic light. Also
good for full moon hikes.
- No Trail
Outside Furnace Creek Area
Mosaic Canyon
- Length: 2 miles, one-way.
- Starting Point: Mosaic Canyon parking area, 2 miles
from Stovepipe Wells Village on graded dirt road.
- Description: Popular walk up narrow polished marble-walled
canyon. Some slickrock scrambling necessary. "Mosaics"
of fragments of rocks cemented together can be seen
in canyon walls. Bighorn sheep sighted occasionally.
Titus Canyon Narrows
- Length: 1.5 miles, one-way.
- Starting Point: Titus Canyon Mouth parking area,
3 miles off Scotty's Castle road on graded dirt road.
Description: Easy access to lower Titus Canyon road.
Follow gravel road up wash 1.5 mi. through narrows
or
- continue to Klare Springs and petroglyphs at 6.5
miles.
- No camping allowed.
Dante's Ridge
- Length: 0.5 miles to first summit, 4 miles one-way
to Mt. Perry.
- Starting Point: Dantes View parking area.
- Description: Follow the ridge north of Dantes View
for spectacular vistas and a cool place to escape
summer heat.
- No Trail for last 3.5 miles.
Keane Wonder Mine Trail
- Length: 1 mile, one-way.
- Starting Point: Keane Wonder Mill parking area,
2 miles off Beatty Cutoff road on graded dirt road.
- Description: Very steep, narrow trail from mill
ruins to mine 1500 ft. above. Sweeping views of Death
Valley.
- CAUTION: Do not enter any mines - they are unstable
and hazardous.
- Do not remove any historical artifacts.
Keane Wonder Springs
- Length: 1 mile, one-way.
- Starting Point: Keane Wonder Mill parking area,
2 miles off Beatty Cutoff road on graded dirt road.
- Description: Follow pipeline north along mountain
base to sulfur springs and travertine mounds. Beyond
springs are remains of an old stampmill and cabin.
- Do not remove any historical artifacts.
Little Hebe Crater Trail
- Length: 0.5 mile, one-way.
- Starting Point: Ubehebe Crater parking area, 8 miles
west of Scotty’s Castle.
- Description: Volcanic craters and elaborate erosion.
Hike along west rim of Ubehebe Crater to Little Hebe
and several older craters. Continue around Ubehebe’s
rim for loop hike.
Darwin Falls Trail
- Length: 1 mile, one-way
- Starting Point: Darwin Falls parking area, 2 miles
off Hwy 190 on graded dirt road, 1 mile west of Panamint
Springs Resort.
- Description: This small waterfall flows year round
in a deep, rugged gorge. Thick vegetation and muddy
stream crossings can be challenging.
- Public water supply, no swimming or bathing please.
Adventurous Hikes: No trails.
Rock scrambling... you’re on your own!
Death Valley Buttes
- Length: 1.8 mile, one-way.
- Starting Point: Hell’s Gate parking area, 22
miles NE of Furnace Creek.
- Description: Short but strenuous scramble to the
two prominent hills at the foot of the Grapevine Mountains.
From Hell’s Gate, walk SW 0.5 mile toward the
buttes. Scramble south up the ridge to the first of
the buttes. You made it! Now you can decide whether
you want to attempt #2. It’s more difficult.
If so, descend carefully down the ridge 300 ft., then
climb the narrow ridge to butte #2. Extreme care should
be used when climbing the buttes. Ridges are narrow
and exposed with steep drop-offs. Windy days make
this effect quite dramatic. The views are among the
best in Death Valley.
- No Trail
Fall Canyon
- Length: 3.5 miles, one-way.
- Starting Point: Titus Canyon Mouth parking area,
3 miles off Scotty’s Castle road on graded dirt
road.
- Description: Spectacular wilderness canyon near
Titus Canyon. Follow informal path 1/2 mile north
along base of mountains; drop into large wash at canyon's
mouth; then hike 2 1/2 miles up canyon to the 35'
dryfall. Using caution, you can climb around the falls
on the south side. This will give you access to some
of the most beautiful narrows in Death Valley. Canyon
continues another 3 miles before a second dryfall
blocks passage.
- No Trail
Red Wall Canyon
- Length: 3 miles, one-way.
- Starting Point: Scotty’s Castle Road, 3.8 miles
north of Titus Canyon road exit.
Description: Colorful (red) narrow mountain canyon.
From road, hike 2 miles up alluvial fan to mouth of
canyon (watch for meeting of red and black rock to
locate canyon). Rock climbing skills are needed to
continue beyond a dry waterfall 1 mile up the canyon.
- No Trail
Little Bridge Canyon
- Length: 3 miles, one-way.
- Starting Point: 3 miles west Scotty's Castle junction
on Highway 190. Park along road at end of straight
stretch.
- Description: Climb alluvial fan south of road for
2 miles to canyon mouth. The canyon is very wide at
first before narrowing. A small arch appears on the
right 1/2 mile into the canyon and a 20 ft high natural
bridge spans the east side of the canyon 1/2 mile
further on. White quartzite canyon walls and interesting
side canyons to explore. Canyon narrows further up
from bridge.
- No Trail
Summer Hikes
Cool places to hike when the Valley gets too hot.
Telescope Peak and Wildrose
Peak
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