Desolation Canyon Trail
Hikers will follow an old road into narrow Desolation Canyon which, despite its name, passes through some colorful badlands.
Plan Around Desolation Canyon Trail
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Desolation Canyon Trail Details
Hikers will follow an old road into narrow Desolation Canyon which, despite its name, passes through some colorful badlands. The trail leaves the road and enters the canyon's main wash as you go uphill toward a series of cliffs; there's no trail markers, but the key is to keep going right at the forks. You'll do a little scrambling along the way, and the canyon gets pretty tight in spots (which is fun, but also makes it one to avoid when flooding is a possibility). You'll have the option of detouring uphill to a nice overlook of the valley. The Desolation Canyon trailhead is at a parking area at the end of a half-mile dirt road off Badwater Road, 3.7 miles south of Highway 190.
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
3 miles
Estimated time
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Desolation Canyon Trail
Compare nearby parks around Desolation Canyon Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Desolation Canyon Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Desolation Canyon Trail while the map context is still fresh.
1.1 mi away
Gower Gulch Loop
The Gower Gulch Loop trail passes through colorful badlands and narrow canyons, and alongside old borax mines.
1.3 mi away
Twenty Mule Team Canyon
This unpaved, one-way, 2.7-mile loop road through the multicolored Death Valley badlands is well worth exploring on foot or by vehicle.
1.7 mi away
Golden Canyon Interpretive Trail
This hike takes you up the aptly named Golden Canyon.
2.5 mi away
Zabriskie Point
Great views of badlands, sunrises and sunsets, right off Highway 190.
2.5 mi away
Zabriskie Point
Named for a borax baron and located in a wildly eroded section of Death Valley National Park.
