Things to Do in Death Valley
Hiking: A Paradise for All Levels
Death Valley National Park is a hiker’s paradise, with year-round opportunities for easy, moderate, or difficult hikes lasting from a few hours to multiple nights.
Easy Hikes
- Harmony Borax Works (0.4 miles round trip): An ADA-accessible loop around historic mining sites where the famous 20-Mule Team wagons began their journey.
- Badwater Salt Flats (1 mile round trip): An ADA-accessible out-and-back walk to the edge of the salt flat and North America’s lowest point.
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (2 miles round trip): Hike through the park’s largest dune field to the summit of the high dune. Go at sunrise, sunset, or during a full moon for unforgettable experiences.
Moderate Hikes
- Ubehebe Crater Rim (1.5 miles round trip): A loop hike around the rim of a 600-foot deep maar volcano. Go counterclockwise to also see Little Ubehebe Crater.
- Sidewinder Canyon (5 miles round trip): An out-and-back hike into hidden slot canyons. Requires scrambling over dryfalls. No signs, so some navigation is needed. Get a free map at the Visitor Center for a safe hike. The short gravel access road is usually passable by sedan.
- Fall Canyon (8 miles round trip): An out-and-back hike through a deep canyon with towering walls, a great spot for Bighorn Sheep. The gravel access road (Titus Canyon 2-way road) is typically passable by sedan.
Difficult Hikes
- Mosaic Canyon (4 miles round trip): An out-and-back hike through polished marble narrows. A 40-foot dryfall at 1.4 miles in is where most turn back, but a trail bypasses it. A 50-foot marble shoot further in blocks the canyon. A map for the bypass trail is available at the Visitor Center.
- Wildrose Peak (8.4 miles round trip): An out-and-back trail through pinyon-juniper woodlands to a 9,064-foot peak. The trailhead is near the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. The final two miles of the access road are gravel but generally passable by sedan. Snow and ice are possible in winter.
- Telescope Peak (14 miles round trip): An out-and-back trail to Death Valley’s highest peak at 11,049 feet. The trail starts in pinyon-juniper woodlands. The final five miles of the access road are gravel and require high clearance, with 4-wheel drive recommended. Road is closed in winter due to snow and ice.
