BackRoadsWest presents:

Difficulty Chart

2

This short, relatively easy hike will give you a "sample" of what the China Ranch/Amargosa River area has to offer and is a good hike to take if you don't have a lot of time to spend here. 

Where:
South of China Ranch.

1 to 3

This canyon is over 8 miles long so we have split it into three separate hikes.  The Amargosa Canyon offers a variety of unusual geology, plenty of remnants from the old Tonopah and Tidewater (T&T) Railroad, hanging fern gardens, marshlands and abundant plant and animal life.

Where:
South of Tecopa and near China Ranch.

2+

This hike to the year-round "waterfall in the desert" is one of the extension hikes of the China Ranch area.  You'll hike right past another extension hike, the Slot Canyon (below), so why not do both in the same day!

Where:
South of China Ranch.

1 to 4+

There are many "unofficial" hikes along Artist Drive and we describe four of them.  Two of them are relatively easy and the other two take you up into the narrow, colorful canyons of this popular spot in the Black Mountains.
 

Where:
South of Furnace Creek Area

1

This secluded and little-known wetlands area has over twenty four plants and animals that are unique to these meadows and are found nowhere else in the world!  There is no official "hike" here but there is a nice boardwalk and plenty of places to just walk around.

Where:
East of Death Valley Junction in Nevada

5

This is the most difficult hike in this Guide but you'll be rewarded with ore cars and their railroad tracks, tramway cars still hanging on their cables, old trucks, water tanks and some old buildings including the mill's old hopper.  You'll also see sweeping, panoramic views of the Death Valley floor.

Where:
East of Stovepipe Wells in the Keane Wonder Mine Area

2+

This canyon is off-the-beaten-path and, beyond a certain point, there is no real "trail" at all.  Just hike up the canyon along a fault line between two strikingly different geological formations. 

Where:
South of China Ranch

2

Hidden behind the small development of Panamint Springs is a deep gorge with several perennial waterfalls.  The first one is easy to get to and is only a mile from the parking area.

Where:
Near Panamint Springs on the western edge of Death Valley NP.

2

This canyon is unique in that it is a miniature version of other canyons in the area.  It also has easy access for both vehicle and hiker.

Where:
Just south of Furnace Creek Area along Badwater Road.

2

One of the most popular hikes in the Park, this area offers some of the most beautiful and dramatic desert scenery around!
 

Where:
Just south of Furnace Creek Area along Badwater Road.

4

This longer hike includes a hike through Golden Canyon (above) and is a good "sampler" of the geology of the northern Black Mountains.
 

Where:
Just south of Furnace Creek Area along Badwater Road.

3

Happy Canyon Hike

Although the canyon is 7 miles long, you don't have to hike the whole thing to enjoy its unique beauty.  We only explored the first 1.5 miles and were rewarded with the tallest waterfall in the canyon and many smaller cascades, too.

Where:
Panamint Mountains near Ballarat.

2

This hike requires a high clearance vehicle to get to but the panoramic scenery of the Panamint Mountains and the well-preserved mining equipment make it worth the extra effort.

Where:
Panamint Mountains north of Ballarat.

5

One of the most difficult hikes in this Guide, this hike is steep and takes you to some well-preserved mining ruins that includes an aerial tramway with an ore bucket still hanging from it! 

Where:
Funeral Mountains about 18 miles north of the Furnace Creek Area.

2+

This is one of two hikes you can do from the Marble and Cottonwood Canyons Road Trip and Hikes and is one of our favorites!  The scenery in this spectacular canyon is dramatic and unique in the Park!  It's a "must see"!

Where:
West of Stovepipe Wells in the Cottonwood Mountains.

3

This short hike offers some great canyon scenery, has plenty of surface water and plant life and includes the seldom-seen, well-preserved mining ruins of the Indian Mine.

Where:
The Funeral Mountains south of Daylight Pass Road.

3 or 5

Another one of our favorite canyons, Mosaic offers two hikes.  The first is along the canyon floor (3) and the other is up above the canyon (5).  The canyon floor hike is one of the most popular in the Park because is it easily accessible and is not difficult to hike but don't let that deter you.  This is one of the Park's best hikes!

Where:
Tucki Mountains just south of Stovepipe Wells.

2 or 3

Another popular attraction, this canyon is best known for the natural bridge located halfway up and the unique geology found nowhere else in the Park  The hike to the bridge is rated a 2.  Hiking beyond the bridge is rated a 3.

Where:
Western side of the Black Mountains along Badwater Road.

4

This hike takes you along the old railroad bed of the Tonopah & Tidewater mainline where you'll pass close by some spectacular 400-foot cliffs.  These multi-colored cliffs, known locally as the "Palisades", are magnificent columns that make you feel very small, indeed.

Where:
South of China Ranch

2+

This easy hike takes you through an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) that is managed by the B.L.M.  There are interpretive signs along the hike and some of the oldest mining ruins in the area.

Where:
Just outside the southeastern tip of Park near the Ibex Hills Area.

2

Hiking around the Saratoga Springs is easy and you can go as far as you like.  There is no "official" hiking trial here but there is lots to see and plenty of paths to follow.  In addition to being one of the prettiest marsh areas in Death Valley, there are also mining ruins to explore.  The ponds here are home to a rare pupfish and a stop for migrating birds.

Where:
Southeastern tip of the Park near the Ibex Hills Area.

3

Before there was Scotty's Castle, the infamous character, Death Valley Scotty called this canyon home.  Located in southern Death Valley, this hike is not difficult but is longer than most at 6 miles round trip.  There are artifacts left here from Scotty's days and the canyon itself is pretty with lots of mosaic surfaces.
 

Where:
Southern Black Mountains, along Badwater Road, east of Ashford Mill.

2+

Another of the "extension" hikes in the China Ranch area, this easy route takes you to a small slot canyon.  Just a short distance from here is the Amargosa River Waterfall (above), too. 

Where:
South of China Ranch.

2

The unusual and barren terrain you'll see on this hike is similar to that of Golden Canyon in Death Valley.  There is no "official" trail here and the canyons don't even have names but they are very interesting to explore.
 

Where:
South of China Ranch.

3+ or 5

The first of two hikes takes you up to, and through, some cascades and small waterfalls made of smooth, polished marble.  The second hike continues on, up-canyon, to the site of Panamint City and the surrounding mines that operated in the late 1870's. 

Where:
Panamint Mountains north of Ballarat.

2+

Teahouse Hike (Furnace Creek Inn)

Nestled above hills behind the beautiful Furnace Creek Inn is an odd-looking structure.  It is a teahouse, built in the 1930's, that still offers a fantastic, panoramic view of the area.

Where:
Behind the Inn in the Furnace Creek Area.

4 or 4+

Located in the northern section of Death Valley, this attraction can be seen from the parking lot or you can take one of the two hikes we describe. Both are strenuous but rewarding.  The Rim Trail is not difficult once you get up to the top rim of the crater but the Crater Floor Trail is grueling both up and down.

Where:
West of Scotty's Castle.