During my last visit to Death Valley National Park, I spent a full week tackling almost all the hiking trails listed in the visitor guide. I had a blast scrambling around rockfalls, squeezing through slot canyons, climbing sand dunes, and even visiting a waterfall!

To help you easily find the best hikes in Death Valley, this post provides detailed information on all the hikes listed in the Death Valley visitor guide and ranks them from my most to least favorite.

---

Things to Know

• Traditional constructed tails are rare in Death Valley. Many trails lack trailhead markers and/or simply follow the natural terrain (Sidewinder Canyon, Desolation Canyon, Panamint Dunes just to name a few). For this reason, be sure to pick up a map of the trail you plan on hiking from the visitor center.
• Visit the Death Valley hiking page for detailed descriptions and GPX files of some of the longer hikes.
• The best time to hike the majority of the trails is between October and April. Trails at higher elevations (such as Wildrose Peak and Telescope Peak) can be covered in snow during the winter.
• Dogs are not allowed on any trails.
• Always be prepared and pack The 10 Essentials for any hike.
• For more information on visiting Death Valley, check out my post: What to do in Death Valley National Park.

---

Maps and Guidebooks

• Trails Illustrated Death Valley National Park – This is a waterproof, tear-resistant map for all of Death Valley National Park. This is great if you like to have a durable physical map to use for the entire park.
• Hiking Death Valley National Park: A guide to the Park’s Greatest Hiking Adventures – This book has very detailed route descriptions for 57 day-hikes and backpacking trips in Death Valley.
• I also use the website Caltopo to research locations, routes, and to print paper maps.

---

Easy Hikes in Death Valley

1) Badwater Salt Flat

Viewing the salt flats is a must-see on any trip to Death Valley. Badwater Salt Flat covers 200 square miles and is the lowest point in North America. Get up close to the salt flat by walking out towards the center to view large repeating geometric formations in the ground created by the expansion of salt crystals.

Distance: Roughly 1 mile out and back to the edge of the salt flat and 5 miles each way to travel across to the west side.
Vertical Ascent: 0 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 30 minutes to travel out and back to the edge of the salt flat
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles and then turn right onto Badwater Road. From here, travel 16.5 miles on Badwater Road to the paved parking lot for Badwater Salt Flat.

2) Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are also a must-see attraction. You can set out on foot and explore in any direction until you have your fill. Walking up the dunes in deep sand is tough work, allow plenty of time if you plan to trek out to the tallest dune.

Distance: 2 miles to the highest dune, although most just explore the dunes in any direction.
Vertical Ascent: Varies
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: As short or as long as you like (plan on 1.5 hours round-trip to get to the highest dune)
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn left onto CA-190 W. Travel 22.4 miles to the paved parking lot for Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
Photo Tip: To capture dramatic photos, plan to visit the sand dunes just before sunset or just after sunrise. The sun will be low on the horizon and the shadows create contrast that makes the shape of the dunes distinct.

3) Natural Bridge

Hike along a sandy canyon to a large natural bridge. While this bridge is interesting, it is not as impressive as other natural bridges like those in Arches National Park. If you are short on time, I prefer the first ½ mile section of the Mosaic Canyon hike or the Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral hike.

Distance: 1 mile
Vertical Ascent: 180 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 45 minutes
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles then turn right onto Badwater Road. Go 13 miles and turn left onto Natural Bridge Road. From here, travel 1.5 miles along a gravel road (passable by sedan) to the gravel parking lot.

4) Salt Creek Interpretive Trail

Walk this ADA accessible wooden boardwalk along a salt marsh that is home to local birds and the Salt Creek Pupfish. Water flows along the boardwalk between November and May. Between February and April, the Salt Creek Pupfish spawn.

Distance: 0.5 miles
Vertical Ascent: 0 feet
Route type: Loop
Time to hike: 15 minutes
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 13.1 miles. Following signs for Salt Creek, turn and travel 1.2 miles down a gravel road (passable by sedan) to a gravel parking lot.

5) Harmony Borax Works

Walk this paved ADA accessible loop to view what is left of the Harmony borax mining site. Along the way view an intact wagon that was once used by the famous 20 mule teams, the hauled refined borax 165 miles across the desert to the railway.

Distance: 0.4 miles
Vertical Ascent: 50 feet
Route type: Loop
Time to hike: 15 minutes
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn left onto CA-190 W. Travel 1.4 miles and then turn left onto Borax Mill Road. Travel 0.2 miles to the paved parking lot.

---

Moderate Hikes in Death Valley

Note: #1 is broken into 4 sections as they are individual trails that combine to create the complete Golden Canyon/badlands/Gower Gulch circuit. The complete circuit is my favorite trail in the park. If you are short on time the best part is the the Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral section. 

1a) Golden Canyon/badlands/Gower Gulch circuit

The full circuit leaves nothing out. Enjoy views of the Red Cathedral Cliffs, explore Manly Beacon, soak in the entire vista from the Zabriskie Viewpoint, and wind through the badlands. If I could only choose one long hike to do while in the park this would be it.

Distance: 7.5 miles
Vertical Ascent: 837 feet
Route type: Loop
Time to hike: 3-4 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right onto Badwater Road. Go 2 miles and then turn left on Golden Canyon Road to find the paved parking lot.
Tip: This loop can be started at Zabriskie Point or Golden Canyon, but I prefer to start at Golden Canon for a better approaching view of Red Cathedral and to end the hike going downhill.

1b) Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral

This route travels gradually uphill through a gold-colored canyon and then along tan mudstone hills. After about ¾ of a mile the towering cliff walls of the Red Cathedral come into view. In the last section the trail takes you scrambling right up to close to the rock face.

Distance: 3 miles
Vertical Ascent: 577 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 1.5 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right onto Badwater Road. From here, travel 2 miles and turn left on Golden Canyon Road to find the paved parking lot.
Note: This trail is part of the larger Golden Canyon/Badlands /Gower Gulch Circuit listed above. While I highly recommend the complete circuit, if I could only do one section I would recommend this section to view the Red Cathedral and then drive to see Zabriskie Point to see the viewpoint.
Tip:  This is a great hike to do near sunset. As the sun dips low on the horizon, the cliff face of Red Cathedral will take on a glowing red hue.

1c) Gower Gulch Loop

This loop starts by following the Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral. After exploring Red Cathedral, the trail climbs out of the canyon and travels right under Many Beacon (the distinct spire that you see from Zabriskie Point). From there the trail weaves through the tan mudstone hills of the badlands before returning to the parking area through Gower Gulch.

Distance: 4.3 miles
Vertical Ascent: 850 feet
Route type: Loop
Time to hike: 2 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles then turn right onto Badwater Road. From here, travel 2 miles and turn left on Golden Canyon Road to find the paved parking lot.
Tip: Want more? This trail can be extended to hike the complete circuit (Golden Canyon/Badlands /Gower Gulch) listed above.

1d) Badlands Loop

This loop starts off from the beautiful Zabriskie point and takes you weaving through the badlands below.

Distance: 2.7 miles
Vertical Ascent: 535 feet
Route type: Loop
Time to hike: 1 hour
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190. Travel 4.8 miles and then turn right onto Zabriskie Point Road where you will see the paved parking area.
Tip: Want more? This trail can be extended to hike the complete circuit (Golden Canyon/Badlands/Gower Gulch) listed above.

2) Mosaic Canyon

This is a very popular trail in the park and is definitely a must-see. The canyon gets its name from its breccia walls, formed from fragments of rock that are cemented together, which take on a “mosaic” pattern. Other sections of the canyon are formed by dolomite that has been transformed into marble by extreme heat and pressure. The mixing of these tan polished marble swirls and choppy mosaic sections create a natural art gallery as you climb through 3 narrow canyon sections.

Distance: 3.8 miles
Vertical Ascent: 934 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 1.5 to 2 hours
Location: Mosaic Canyon Road is located in Stovepipe Wells, across the street from the campgrounds. The 2.3-mile unpaved road is usually passable by sedan.
Tip: The lower 0.5 mile of this hike is the most visually interesting section, so if you are short on time turn around here. However, the full hike is worth it if you have time.  Along the full hike there are several sections that require scrambling around boulders and climbing short (4-5 foot) slippery marble dryfalls.

3) Dante’s Ridge

From the parking area for Dante’s View head north along the ridge. Along the way enjoy unobstructed 360-degree views. The route has no formal trail or signs. While I enjoyed this hike very much, you don’t really see anything that you cannot already see from the Dante’s Viewpoint. For this reason, I would only hike the full route if you have extra time. 

Distance: 8 miles
Vertical Ascent: 1200 feet
Route type: out and back
Time to hike: 4 hours
Location: From Furnace Creek campground turn right onto CA-190 E and travel 12.4 miles. Turn right onto Furnace Creek Wash Road and travel 7.5 miles. Stay straight on Dante’s View Road for 5.5 miles until the road dead-ends at the parking lot for Dante’s view.
Tip: Dante’s viewpoint is at 5,476 feet and temperatures are much cooler than those on the valley floor so dress accordingly.

4) Sidewinder Canyon

Like taking the path less traveled and finding your own way? If so, this is the hike for you. As you make your way up sidewinder canyon there are 3 slot canyons to explore. Get ready to squeeze, climb, and crawl your way through each canyon as you create your own route.

Distance: 5 miles
Vertical Ascent: 1580 feet
Route type: out and back
Time to hike: 3 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles then turn right onto Badwater Road. Travel 31.5 miles until you get to an unmarked gravel road on the left.  Follow the road until it dead ends at a gravel parking lot. The trail starts at the south end of the gravel lot. Do not go into the first obvious canyon! you need to travel southeast from the parking lot for roughly 1,000 feet to get to the entrance to Sidewinder Canyon.  
Tip: There are no signs or trail markers for this route. It is easy to walk into the wrong canyon at the start and waste a ton of time. Be sure to grab a trail description and a map from the visitor center before heading out.

5) Ubehebe Crater Rim

Ubehebe crater can be fully viewed from the parking area. As you pull up the crater doesn’t come into view until you are right on top of it making its sudden appearance pretty impressive. Most choose to hike around the crater in a counter-clockwise direction. After 0.5 miles you will be able to see Little Ubehebe crater to the south, and this is a good place to turn around if you are short on time.

Distance: 1.5 miles (loop), 1 mile (round trip out and back to Little Ubehebe Crater)
Vertical Ascent: 500 feet
Route type: Loop for full crater or out and back to view Little Ubehebe Crater.
Time to hike: 1 hour to hike the loop, 30 minutes round-trip to Little Ubehebe.
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 17.1 miles. Turn right onto Scotty’s Castle Road and travel 33.4 miles. Turn left onto Ubehebe Crater Road and travel 5.3 miles to the paved parking area.

5) Fall Canyon

This route starts off with a 1-mile hike northwest from the parking area to the mouth of fall canyon. The trail then turns and enters the mouth of Fall Canyon. Wind through deep canyons walls for 2.5 miles before coming to a dead-end at a 25 foot dryfall.

Distance: 7 miles
Vertical Ascent: 1387 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 2.5-3 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn left onto CA-190 W. Travel 17.1 miles then turn Right onto Scotty’s Castle Road. Travel 15 miles and then turn right onto the unpaved Titus Canyon Road (usually passable to sedans). There is a gravel parking lot after 2.6 miles, just before the one-way section of Titus Canyon begins.

7) Desolation Canyon

This route takes you along an unmarked canyon with sections of light green, yellow, and pink mineral deposits like those seen along Artists Drive. During the hike there are two dryfalls (8ft and 6ft) which require some easy climbing. The route ends by climbing out of the canyon to reveal a view of Death Valley from above.

Distance: 3.9 miles
Vertical Ascent: 775 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 2 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center, turn right onto CA-190 E. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right onto Badwater Road. Travel 3.7 miles then turn left onto Desolation Canyon Road (there is no road sign). Take the dirt road (passable to sedans) for 0.5 miles to get to the gravel parking area.
Tip: There are no signs or trail markers for this route. Be sure to grab a trail description and a map from the visitor center before heading out.

8) Darwin Falls

This route transports you from a dry riverbed to a lush little pool at the base of the fall. The route requires some rock hoping and scrambling. Darwin falls is unique because it is in the middle of a desert, but the fall itself is not that impressive. I personally would not go out of my way to do this hike again.

Distance: 2 miles
Vertical Ascent: 450 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 60 minutes
Location: From the gas station in Panamint Springs Travel 1 mile west on CA-190 to Darwin Falls Road. Take the unpaved Darwin Falls Road for 2.5 miles to the trailhead. The park service recommends a high clearance vehicle for this road, however it is usually passable with a sedan.
Note: Swimming is not allowed 

---

Difficult Hikes in Death Valley

1) Panamint Dunes

This is an unmarked cross-country route. From the parking area you can see the dunes. It’s a very gradual uphill hike across a sandy, wide open desert to the foot of the dunes.

Distance: 8 miles
Vertical Ascent: 1028 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 4 hours 
Location: From the Panamint Springs gas station, head east on CA-190. After 4.5 miles look for an unnamed dirt road on the left. You should see a moderate sized isolated foothill several miles down the road in front of you. Travel along the dirt road for 5.8 miles until the road bends to the right. Here you will see a little dirt parking lot to the left. The dirt road is rough, but it is usually passable with a sedan.
Tip: I actually turned this hike into an overnight trip and enjoyed a night sleeping on the dunes under the stars! To do the same, grab a free back-country permit from either the Furnace Creek Visitor Center or Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station. Check out my trip guide here.

2) Telescope Peak

Enjoy an invigorating trek to the to the highest peak in Death Valley at 11,049 feet. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to this hike yet due to the snow, but it looks awesome.

Distance: 14 miles
Vertical Ascent: 3000 feet
Route type: Out and back
Time to hike: 7 hours
Location: Mahogany Flat Campground
Tip: This trail may have snow in the winter and spring. If you do not have a high clearance vehicle, then you will need to park at the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns and hike another 1.6 miles up the road to Mahogany Flat Campground.  

3) Wildrose Peak

Start at the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns and travel upwards through Pinyon-Juniper woodlands until you summit Wildrose Peak at 9,064 feet. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to this hike yet due to the snow.

Distance: 8.4 miles
Vertical Ascent: 2200 feet
Route type: out and back
Time to hike: 5 hours
Location: From the Visitor Center turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 33.6 miles. Turn left onto Emigrant Canyon Road and travel 21.4 miles. After passing Wildrose Campground, travel straight for another 6.8 miles. The last 2 miles are a little rough (my car has 6 inches of ground clearance and it was sketchy at times).
Tip: This trail may have snow in the winter and spring.

---

Thanks for checking out my blog post on the best hikes in Death Valley.

I know it’s hard to choose which hikes to do when you are visiting a place for the first time so I hope this post was helpful. As always, if you found this post useful please like, share, and pin!

Please remember to always be prepared and to follow Leave No Trace Principles when you are enjoying the outdoors.

---

Like this post? Pin it for later.

---

LOOKING FOR MORE?

---

Disclosure:  The product links in this post are affiliate links. Purchases that result from these affiliate links provide a modest commission to this site at no additional cost to you. If you like the content on Leave No Tracy, using these links is the best way to show your support! My affiliate relationships do not affect the items I recommend. I only recommend products I have purchased and use myself.