Activities in Death Valley
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Highway 178 to Badwater Basin Interpretive Trail
A few miles south of Furnace Creek is Golden Canyon, where a self-guided interpretive trail winds for a mile up to the now-oxidized iron cliffs of Red Cathedral. You can keep going up to Zabriskie Point, for a hardy 4-mile round-trip. A more challenging canyon scramble goes up Desolation Narrows to an overlook of colorful badlands, but you'll need a good topo map for it. Take the unsigned dirt road turnoff 4 miles south of the Hwy 178/190 junction, and stay to the left.
Further south on Hwy 178 is the turnoff for the Artist's Drive scenic loop through an alluvial fan, with the Artist's Palette of colorful exposed minerals and volcanic ash. Driving south again on Hwy 190, …
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Grapevine Junction Trail
Three miles west of Scotty's Castle, turn west toward 770ft-deep Ubehebe Crater, caused by the explosive meeting of fiery magma with cool groundwater. You can loop around its half-mile-wide rim and over to younger and smaller Little Hebe Crater. The mysterious Racetrack Playa is a 28-mile trip south of Ubehebe Crater, via a tire-shredding dirt road that requires 4WD.
From the natural 'grandstand,' you can observe large rocks that appear to have moved on their own across this mud flat, making long, faint tracks in the sunbaked surface. Scientific theories abound, but nothing has been proven.Want more 4WD adventure? Between the craters and Grapevine Junction, a graded dirt…
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Around Furnace Creek Drive
Start by driving up to Dante's View (5475ft), where the view is absolutely brilliant at sunrise or sunset. En route, detour at Twenty Mule Team Canyon, a windy one-way loop through an ancient lakebed - it will make you feel like an ant. Heading back down toward the valley, it's a short walk out to Zabriskie Point, where you can scramble down into the eroded badlands. With a good sense of orientation, make the 4-mile round-trip hike over to Golden Canyon.
Take a break at Furnace Creek Ranch and sit in some shade. The Borax Museum, past the restaurants, will tell you all about the stuff, and there's a big collection of old coaches and wagons out back. The Furnace Creek visi…
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Emigrant Canyon Road Trail
Eight miles west of Stovepipe Wells, this scenic road winds past turnoffs to Skidoo mining town site, a 4WD trek to jaw-dropping views of the Sierra Nevada, or to Eureka Mine, beyond which Aguereberry Point has 6500ft-deep views east into Death Valley. Back on the main road, it's a steep climb over Emigrant Pass (5318ft).
Further along, turn left up Wildrose Canyon to reach the charcoal kilns, a line of large, stone, beehive-shaped structures used by 19th-century miners to make fuel for smelting silver ore. The landscape is subalpine, with forests of piñon pine and juniper, and can be covered with winter snow.
reviewed
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Telescope Peak Hiking Trail
A demanding trail which climbs 3000ft from Mahogany Flat to the summit of Telescope Peak (11,049ft). Allow seven to nine hours for the 14-mile round-trip, and don't attempt it in winter unless you're fully equipped for snow and are an experienced ice climber. The last stretch of road to the trailhead might be too rough for a 2WD car, so you may have to start walking from the charcoal kilns, adding 1.5 miles and another 2000ft of elevation each way.
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Wildrose Peak Hiking Trail
From the charcoal kilns off Wildrose Canyon Rd, Wildrose Peak (9064ft) is an 8.4-mile round-trip, with a healthy elevation gain of 2200ft.
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Artist's Drive
The Artist's Drive is a scenic loop through an alluvial fan, with the Artist's Palette of colorful exposed minerals and volcanic ash.
reviewed
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Furnace Creek Stables
Arranges three horseback rides daily, except during summer; best are the monthly full-moon rides.
reviewed
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