Walking Wild & Free

Coffin Peak 1

Coffin Peak

Coffin Peak 3

Coffin Peak 4

Coffin Peak 5

Coffin Peak 6

Coffin Peak 7

Coffin Peak 8

Coffin Peak 9

Coffin Peak 10

Coffin Peak 11

Coffin Peak 2

Take a short but trailless hike to a mountain peak with fantastic views of the Black, Greenwater, Panamin, and Funeral Mountains.

Total Distance: 2.5 miles out & back	Elevation Gain: 919ft. (5,117ft. to 5,507ft.)
Difficulty: Moderate	0-5 Mile Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous
View Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0	Author’s Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Visitor Rating: (Click to rate) [Total: 0 Average: 0]	Visitor Difficulty Rating: (Click to rate) [Total: 0 Average: 0]
Pets: No	Horses: Yes
Best Seasons: October-May	Special Permits: None
Water Availability: None	Overnight Options: None
Trailhead Amenities: Restrooms	Crowd Factor: Solitude
Trailhead Access: 0.7
Uses:	Trail Surface:
Features:	Hazards:

Mile-by-Mile: Coffin Peak Route

0.0 Unmarked Trailhead (5,178ft.). Park in the trailer parking lot near the restrooms below Dantes View. Begin at the wilderness sign; turn left immediately to start trekking east via the wash until the wash takes a sharp right turn to the south after about a quarter mile. From here, turn left to begin climbing up to the ridgeline by continuing in an easterly direction. You may find a vague trail or a few cairns. Continue as the ridgeline twists and turns, occasionally skirting or walking over small peaks. As the route reaches the final ridgeline that travels east to Coffin Peak, a defined trail appears. Follow this route. (36.217759°, -116.722197°)

1.25 Coffin Peak (5,506ft.). Enjoy views in all directions, including to the Panamint Mountains (west), down toward Badwater Flats (also west), down Coffin Canyon and into the Black Mountains (south), east into Greenwater Valley, north into the Funeral Mountains, and to nearby peaks and valleys. Mt. Perry is also visible as a colorful peak to the northwest. (36.214368°, -116.705727°)

History & More

As you walk along the ridgeline, enjoy views to Dantes View Peak and Perry Peak, Badwater Basin, the Panamint Mountains, Pyramid Peak and other summits of the Funeral Mountains, Charleston Peak far to the east in Nevada, and many summits in the Black Mountains and Greenwater Range.

I don’t know how Coffin Peak received its name, but chances are that explorers or settlers thought the ridgeline looked like a coffin. Funerals were common in those days, in part because mourning services were community events. So everyone knew what a coffin looked like. Besides, who wouldn’t want to have a Coffin Peak in the Black Mountains of Death Valley overlooking the Funeral Mountains?

Coffin Peak is relatively unvisited. By following the ridgeline, you can expect nothing worse than Class 2 scrambling, though other faces of the peak are a bit more “fun.” One part of the trek is over some sketchy scree, so use caution.

Download Route Map

Driving Directions

Take CA-190 east of Furnace Creek. The turn onto Dantes View Road is 18.1 miles west of Death Valley Junction (0.4 miles west of the fee kiosk) and 10.7 miles east of the Badwater Road Junction. Drive 12.6 miles up the Dantes View Road to the Trailer Parking/restroom on the left (south) side of the road. Park here.