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Death Valley has many unpaved backcountry roads. A
vehicle with high-clearance will be necessary for all
of the roads described below, but four wheel-drive may
also be required to traverse some of the rougher roads.
Please inquire at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center or
other ranger stations for additional information and
current road conditions. Backcountry camping is restricted
to certain areas, please check in at the Visitor Center
before planning an overnight trip and fill out a voluntary
Backcountry Camping Permit. Be sure to carry plenty
of water; never rely on backcountry water sources.
All vehicles must remain on established roads. This
includes motorcycles, bicycles, and four-wheel drive
vehicles. All motorized vehicles and their drivers must
be properly licensed. Vehicles with off-road registration
"green stickers" may not be operated in the
park.
Please remember that collecting rocks or plants or
disturbing any historical or archeological site is not
allowed.
Butte Valley via Warm Springs (21 miles)
- Heading west off of the West Side Road, this road
follows Warm Springs Canyon past several talc mines
before leading into scenic Butte Valley, at an elevation
of 4500 feet. (4X4 required beyond mines) A rough
road leads out of the park over Mengle Pass and into
Panamint Valley to the west via Goler Wash.
- No camping first 2 miles.
Chloride City (14 miles)
- This is one of the earliest sites of mining in Death
Valley and can be reached via two roads. The rougher,
but more interesting, route leaves the highway between
Hell’s Gate and Daylight Pass. After passing
Monarch Canyon, 4X4 is required. No Camping First
2 Miles. The alternate road is located just beyond
the park boundary east of Daylight Pass.
- Continue one mile south of the site of Chloride
City for a spectacular view into Death Valley at Chloride
Cliff.
Cottonwood / Marble Canyons (13 miles Marble
Canyon; 16 miles Cottonwood Canyon)
- The road begins east of the Stovepipe Wells airstrip
and travels up the broad alluvial fan before reaching
the canyon mouth. 8 miles in, the road drops into
the wash and becomes rocky and rough. One mile past
the end of the first narrows, a side road leads up
Marble Canyon. Hikers can continue up this canyon
beyond road’s end to see some of the finest canyon
narrows in the park. At the road’s end up Cottonwood
Canyon is a flowing stream lined with cottonwood trees.
Please remember, camping is not permitted within 1/4
mile from any water source in Death Valley National
Park.
- No camping first 8 miles.
Echo Canyon (10 miles)
- The road begins two miles east of Furnace Creek
Inn along Highway 190. The road tends to have deep
gravel and is quite rocky 3 miles from the highway
(4X4 required). The Needle’s Eye, a natural arch,
is located within the canyon narrows. The Inyo Mine
is up the right fork 9 miles in and contains several
old structures and remnants of mining equipment. The
left fork continues past other old mines eventually
becoming very rough 4x4 and exiting the park in Nevada.
- No camping first 2 miles.
Gold Valley (26 miles from Dante’s View
Road)
- To access this road, travel 13 miles south on the
Greenwater Valley Road from the paved Dante’s
View Road. The road into Gold Valley (4X4 required)
leads off to the west, climbs over a pass in the Black
Mountains, and drops into mountain-rimmed Gold Valley.
The road ends at the spring in Willow Canyon.
- Camp at least 200 yards from any water source.
Hanaupah Canyon (8 miles from West Side Road)
This canyon drains from the park's highest elevation
11,049 ft. Telescope Peak. The road climbs the huge
alluvial fan before dropping into the gravel wash
at the canyon’s mouth 5 miles in (4X4 recommended
in wash). Follow the south fork of the canyon to road’s
end, downstream from Hanaupah Springs. Hikers can
continue past the end of the road.
Camp at least 200 yards from any water source. - No camping first 2 miles.
Hole-in-the-Wall (4 miles to the “hole”;
2 more miles to road’s end)
- The road begins 5.5 miles east of Furnace Creek
Inn on Hwy. 190 and traverses east up a rugged gravel
wash. After passing through the 400' deep gap called
Hole-in-the-Wall, the road becomes rougher (4x4 required).
- No camping first 2 miles.
Hunter Mountain / Hidden Valley (17.5 miles to
old monument boundary)
- From Teakettle Junction the road becomes rougher
and high clearance is required. At the junction 3.2
miles in, the left fork (NE) continues 10 miles to
White Top Mountain. The right fork leads one mile
up to the Lost Burro Mine. The main road continues
through Hidden Valley passing several abandoned mining
areas on the way to Hunter Mountain. From here it
is another 23 miles to Hwy. 190.
- 4x4 required to drive over Hunter Mountain.
Johnson Canyon (10 miles from West Side Road)
- Beyond the end of the road a 1.5 mile hike leads
up the canyon to Hungry Bill’s Ranch, with its
rock-walled terraces and fruit trees. Continue on
foot up the south fork another 1/2 mile to several
old mining prospects.
- No camping first 2 miles.
Lemoigne Canyon (4.4 miles)
- This extremely rough road (4X4 required) starts
6 miles west of Stovepipe Wells. Crossing an alluvial
fan with numerous washes, the mouth of the canyon
is reached in 4.4 miles. Vehicle travel beyond this
point is not allowed.
- No camping first 2 miles.
Phinney Canyon (22 miles)
- The road begins 11.7 miles north of Beatty, Nevada
on Highway 95. Heading west across Sarcobatus Flats,
the road forks in 12 miles to Strozzi Ranch on the
left, and to Phinney Canyon on the right. Pinyon pine
woodlands appear after the canyon is entered, and
the road quickly becomes 4X4. From the pass there
are views of the Grapevine Mountains high country
and glimpses of the Sierra Nevada Range.
Racetrack / Teakettle Junction (22 miles to Teakettle
Junction; 28 miles to the Racetrack)
- The road begins at Ubehebe Crater and ends at the
Racetrack playa, an ancient lakebed famous for its
“moving rocks”. Although this road is often
passable to 2-wheel-drive, conditions can vary. From
Teakettle Junction, a road leads south and west through
Hidden Valley, over Hunter Mountain, and finally to
Highway 190.
- No camping first 2 miles and from Teakettle Juntion
to Homestake Dry Camp.
Titus Canyon (27 miles)
- This popular road is ONE-WAY from east to west.
To find the beginning of the drive, follow the highway
toward Beatty, Nevada. Turn left 2.7 miles east of
the park boundary. The road re-enters the park and
winds through the Grapevine Mountains, then drops
down through one of Death Valley’s most spectacular
canyons. Along the way watch for the ghost town of
Leadfield and petroglyphs at Klare Spring. A self-guided
booklet describing geology and trip highlights can
be purchased at the visitor center.
- Although this road is often passable to 2-wheel-drive
vehicles, conditions can vary, so check at a visitor
center for current road conditions.
- No camping along Titus Canyon Road.
Trail Canyon (12 miles from West Side Road)
- Climbing up the eastern flank of the Panamint Mountains,
this road leads to a spring and old mining area at
the forks of the canyon. Although some old maps show
the road connecting with the Aguereberry Point road,
that section was officially closed to vehicle traffic
after a wash-out made it impassable.
- No camping first 2 miles.
Tucki Mine Road (2.5 miles to Telephone Canyon
fork, 10 miles to Tucki Mine)
- The road begins 1.7 miles up Wildrose Road from
Emigrant Junction. At the mouth of Emigrant Canyon
the road can be seen climbing up the bank on the other
side. After crossing the slope to Telephone Canyon
and climbing up it, the canyon forks. The old road
up the right fork has been closed to vehicle traffic,
but a short walk up it will bring you to a natural
arch and an old mill site. The road continues up the
left fork to the Tucki mine.
- No camping first 2 miles.
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