Itinerary

Death Valley has an instantaneous emotional impact on everyone who sees it. That initial view from Zabriskie Point across the vastness of the valley floor to the distant Panamint Peaks rising from the valley clad in an unmistakable mantle of snow is unlike anything that you have ever experienced.

Spectacular though this view may be, it reveals nothing of the intrigue of Death Valley. Several days of hiking into just a few of the nooks and crannies of Death Valley confirmed for us why we choose to hike rather than do bus tours (as though we ever entertained such a choice!). You won’t believe the hidden treasures that await you—the startling colors of Mosaic Canyon, the improbability of a waterfall in Fall Canyon and the narrows of that canyon above the fall, the Ubehebe Volcanic Crater, the mining history and breathtaking views from the Keene Wonder Mine, to name a few. And, with a little luck (and winter rain), we may be dazzled by an array of desert golds that will surpass any prior images of a desert in bloom. The reality is—when you’ve chosen to visit a region that embraces the lowest point in the western hemisphere that is located only 80 miles from the highest point in the “lower 48”, you need to expect the unexpected. Death Valley does not disappoint.

As a fitting beginning for our visit to a land of extremes, we’ll assemble in Las Vegas, but escape the city limits relatively early morning of Day 1. We’re headed for Red Rock Canyon on our way to Death Valley and we’ll explore the intriguing rock formations and geology of this National Conservation Area administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Initially, we’ll hike to the Keystone Thrust, considered the park’s most significant geologic feature (2.5 miles) and then explore beautiful Pine Creek Canyon with the hope of seeing a seasonal waterfall (3 miles). We’ll then head to Death Valley and continue on to the Furnace Creek Ranch, our home for the next five nights.

On Day 2, we’re off to Fall Canyon. The deeper we walk into the canyon, the higher the walls lining the trail and the narrower our passageway. At what appears to be the head of the canyon is the amazing pour-off with its year-round flow of water. A negotiable bypass will take us to the top of the fall and into one of the narrowest slots in all of Death Valley (8 miles).

We’ll head north toward the Funeral Mountains on Day 3, and step back in time to the gold mining glory days in Death Valley during the early years of the 20th century. We’ll climb to the extensive remains of the Keene Wonder Mine and its magnificent views of the valley floor below (5 miles).

Later that afternoon, we’re off to Stovepipe Wells for a visit to Mosaic Canyon. If you have even the slightest interest in geology, you will be dazzled by the rock and color of Mosaic Canyon. The characteristic pinks and oranges of the predominant dolomite formation are offset by the intense polished white of the metamorphosed marble. Erosion has created a corridor of spectacularly narrow slots in Mosaic Canyon (3-4 miles).

Day 4, we’ll head south from Furnace Creek to the Badwater region. We’ll hike from the Golden Canyon Trailhead along, over, around and through the otherworldly labyrinth of Golden Canyon to Zabriskie Point overlook for an awesome view of the vast and varied panorama of Death Valley (5 miles).

Day 5, we’re headed for the northern reaches of the park. We’ll hike along the rim and into the bowels of both Little and Big Ubehebe craters, reminders of Death Valley’s volcanic legacy (3 miles). We’ll then tour historic Scotty’s Castle, the somewhat bizarre vacation home built as a playground by the wealthy friends of “Death Valley” Scotty during the gold boom days of the 1920’s. Time permitting, we may try to squeeze in a round at the Devil’s Golf Course.

On our return to Furnace Creek, we’ll visit the amazing sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells with ample opportunity to play in the sand. Following our final overnight at the Ranch, we’ll van shuttle to road’s end at the 5,475’summit at Dante’s View. We’ll hike from the overlook to Dante’s Peak (3 miles) for one final overpowering view and then van shuttle back to Las Vegas.

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