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General Information
There are a number of things to do while enjoying Death Valley National park. These activities include but are not limited to backpacking, biking, birding, camping, carriage rides, driving tours, hiking, horseback riding, photography, ranger led activities and wildlife watching.
Join a National Park Service ranger to explore Death Valley's natural and cultural history. Join a ranger to learn about the forces that once shaped this landscape - and continue to do so, see the Calendar Page. Ranger / Naturalist programs include scheduled talks. These are just some of the ways to discover the diversity of the scenic, natural and historic wonders that comprise Death Valley National Park.
Summer temperatures in Death Valley can make outdoor activities difficult, if not dangerous. To escape the heat, take a trip to the mountains and high elevations of the park. Air temperatures cool about 5° F / 3° C with every thousand feet of elevation gained.
Death Valley has many unpaved 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 travel over some of the rougher roads.
| Route Name | Length | Description |
| 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 4,500 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 Two Miles |
| Chloride | 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 Two 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 Canyon Marble Canyon |
16 miles Cottonwood Canyon 13 miles Marble Canyon |
The road begins east of the Stovepipe Wells airstrip and travels up the broad alluvial fan before reaching the canyon mouth. Eight 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 .25 mile from any water source in Death Valley National Park. No Camping First Eight 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 three 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 nine 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 Two 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 feet - Telescope Peak. The road climbs the huge alluvial fan before dropping into the gravel wash at the canyon's mouth five 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 Two 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 Highway 190 and traverses east up a rugged gravel wash. After passing through the 400 foot deep gap called Hole-in-the-Wall, the road becomes rougher (4x4 required). No Camping First Two 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 Highway 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 .5 mile to several old mining prospects. No Camping First Two Miles |
| Lemoigne Canyon | 4.4 miles | This extremely rough road (4X4 required) starts six 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 Two 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 |
27 miles | 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 Along Racetrack Road |
| Titus Canyon | 22 miles to Teakettle Junction; 28 miles to Racetrack |
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 Two 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 Two Miles |
| Sight | Elevation | Description |
| Dante's View | 5,475 ft / 1,669 m | High on a mountain ridge overlooking the sweltering salt flats of Badwater |
| Panamint Range | The park's highest mountains |
The crests are white and snow covered in the winter, but provide a forested refuge from summer heat |
| Wildrose Campground and Ranger Station |
4,100 ft / 1,250 m | You must travel through narrow paved roads that wind through the peaks and canyons of Panamint Range |
| Wildrose Charcoal Kilns | 6,800 ft / 2,073 m | Further up the road from the campground. These beehive-shaped, stone structures were built in the 1870's to produce fuel and carbon for the smelters of lead-silver mines |
| Wildrose Peak | 9,064 ft / 2,763 m | It can be climbed via a 4.2 miles / 6.5 km maintained trail, starting at the Charcoal Kilns |
| Thorndike Campground | 7,400 ft / 2,255 m | Beyond the Kilns the dirt road becomes rougher and steeper. Among the trees along this road is the campground |
| Mahogany Flat Campground | 8,133 ft / 2,479 m | Continue on the road from Thorndike campground until it ends. Here you will find Mahogany |
| Telescope Peak | 11,049 ft / 3,368 m | 7.0 miles / 11 km maintained trail from Mahogany Flat Campground leads to the summit, which is the highest point in Death Valley National Park |
| Sight | Time | Mileage - round trip from Visitor Center |
| Badwater | 1 to 3 hours | 41 mi / 66 km |
| Devil's Golf Course | 1 to 3 hours | 41 mi / 66 km |
| Artist's Drive | 1 to 3 hours | 41 mi / 66 km |
| Golden Canyon | 1 to 3 hours | 41 mi / 66 km |
| Zabriskie Point | 1 to 3 hours | 50 mi / 80 km |
| 20 Mule Team Canyon | 1 to 3 hours | 50 mi / 80 km |
| Dante's View | 1 to 3 hours | 50 mi / 80 km |
| Sand Dunes | 1 to 3 hours | 52 mi / 84 km |
| Mosaic Canyon | 1 to 3 hours | 52 mi / 84 km |
| Salt Creek | 1 to 3 hours | 52 mi / 84 km |
| Scotty's Castle | 4 or more hours | 118 mi / 190 km |
| Ubeheb Crater | 4 or more hours | 118 mi / 190 km |
| Titus Canyon Narrows | 4 or more hours | 118 mi / 190 km |
| Wildrose Charcoal Kilns | 4 or more hours | 126 mi / 200 km |
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