South Smoke Tree Canyon – Death Valley National Park

An unofficially-named canyon in the Owlshead Mountains filled with smoke trees. Total Distance: 14.0 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 2,480ft. (-2ft. to 2,378ft.) Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous 10+ Mile Difficulty: Very Strenuous View Rating: Author’s Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty Rating: Pets: No Horses: Yes Best Seasons: November-April Special Permits: None Water Availability: No potable […]

Smoke Tree Slots – Death Valley National Park

Two slot canyons south of Smoke Tree Canyon. Total Distance: 9.25 miles out & back with spurs Elevation Gain: 1,008ft. (-2ft. to 599ft.) Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous 5-10 Mile Difficulty: Strenuous View Rating: Author’s Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty Rating: Pets: No Horses: Yes Best Seasons: November-April Special Permits: None Water Availability: No potable or reliable […]

Smoke Tree Canyon – Death Valley National Park

Smoke trees grow in this canyon in the Owlshead Mountains. Total Distance: 14.2 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 2,137ft. (-2ft. to 2,021ft.) Difficulty: Very Strenuous 10+ Mile Difficulty: Strenuous View Rating: Author’s Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty Rating: Pets: No Horses: Yes Best Seasons: November-April Special Permits: None Water Availability: No potable or reliable […]

Granite Canyon – Death Valley National Park

Follow a desert canyon up through narrows and granite boulders into the Owlshead Mountains. Of the five officially-named canyons in the northeastern section of the Owlsheads, Granite Canyon is the second-to-southernmost, with only Through Canyon to the south. Total Distance: 14.2 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 2,006 (-23ft. to 1,878ft.) Difficulty: Very Strenuous 10+ […]

Con Benchmark – Death Valley National Park

Trek to a small mountaintop with a US Coast & Geodetic Survey triangulation station marker and great views of Owl Lake, Death Valley, and nearby canyons. Total Distance: 12.5 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 3,104ft. (-70ft. to 2,642ft.) Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous 10+ Mile Difficulty: Very Strenuous View Rating: Author’s Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty […]

Contact Canyon – Death Valley National Park

The most scenic of the five officially-named canyons in the northeastern section of the Owlshead Mountains with rock formations along the wide wash. Contact Canyon is the middle of the five, with Owlshead Canyon to the north and Granite Canyon to the south. Total Distance: 15.0 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 2,638ft. (-71ft. to […]

Owlshead Canyon – Death Valley National Park

Explore a desert canyon with rock formations, narrows, and scalable dryfalls. Owlshead Canyon is the second-northernmost officially-named canyon on the east side of the Owlshead Mountains. Total Distance: 12.0 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 2,708ft. (-97ft. to 2,210ft.) Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous 10+ Mile Difficulty: Very Strenuous View Rating: Author’s Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty […]

Artists Drive – Death Valley National Park

Take a winding paved road through the foothills of the Black Mountains to the spectacular Artists Palette and Star Wars film site. Total Distance: 9.2 miles point to point (one-way) Elevation Gain: 1,682ft. up, 1,720ft. down (-203ft. to 946ft.) Road Difficulty: 0.8 Bicycle Difficulty: More Difficult View Rating: Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty Rating: Pets: […]

Undertaker Canyon – Death Valley National Park

Scramble up a remote slot canyon in the Funeral Mountains off of Hole in the Wall Road to Widowmaker Dryfall. Serious scrambling is required – you may want ropes for this one. Total Distance: 5.0 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 1,917ft. (1,891ft. to 3,597ft.) Difficulty: Strenuous 0-5 Mile Difficulty: Very Strenuous View Rating: Author’s […]

Slit Canyon – Death Valley National Park

Hike to and up a remote slot canyon in the Funeral Mountains off of Hole in the Wall Road. Some scrambling is required. Total Distance: 9.4 miles out & back Elevation Gain: 3,029ft. (1,891ft. to 4,187ft.) Difficulty: Very Strenuous 5-10 Mile Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous View Rating: Author’s Rating: Visitor Rating: Visitor Difficulty Rating: Pets: No […]