Walking Wild & Free

Through Canyon 1

Through Canyon

Through Canyon 1

Through Canyon

Hike all the way through (thus the canyon’s name) the Owlshead Mountains via a desert canyon. Through Canyon is the southernmost of the five officially-named canyons in the northeastern section of the Owlsheads.

Total Distance: 17.2 miles out & back	Elevation Gain: 2,108ft. (-22ft. to 1,967ft.)
Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous	10+ Mile Difficulty: Very Strenuous
View Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0	Author’s Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars3.0
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: November-April	Special Permits: None
Water Availability: No potable or reliable water	Overnight Options: Dispersed camping permitted
Trailhead Amenities: None	Crowd Factor: Solitude
Trailhead Access: 1.5 (4×4 required when road is flooded or sandy – 2.0 to 2.3)
Uses:	Trail Surface:
Features:	Hazards:

Mile-by-Mile: Through Canyon

0.0 Unmarked trailhead on the Harry Wade Road (25ft.). Walk south and a little west, generally following the old road, to the Confidence Mill Site. (35.842780°, -116.561001°)

0.3 Confidence Mill Site (-15ft.). Continue southwest toward the western end of the Confidence Hills (the yellow hills before you get to the Owlshead Mountains). (35.839672°, -116.563524°)

0.75 Cross the Amargosa River (-23ft.). The river is usually dry, but if it’s flowing, you’ll need to use care when crossing. Continue as before west and south toward the southern end of the Confidence Hills. A short distance beyond the first crossing, you may need to cross a secondary channel of the river. (35.834580°, -116.568812°)

1.4 Pick up wash through the Confidence Hills (28ft.). Turn west to follow the wash west through the Confidence Hills. Following the wash allows you to avoid climbing up and down over the hills. (35.828172°, -116.578516°)

2.4 Leave wash (138ft.). Head west and south toward the mouth of Through Canyon, just to the south (left) of the wider Granite Canyon. (35.826165°, -116.594757°)

4.1 Mouth of Through Canyon (594ft.). Continue up the wash into the canyon. Smoke trees abound, and the scenery is ever-changing, with rocks on the sides of the wide canyon. (35.809152°, -116.615877°)

5.8 Canyon Split 1 with side canyon on left (1,097ft.). Continue right (to the north side of) around the black hill. (35.799132°, -116.640692°)

6.6 Canyon Split 2 with side canyon on right (1,346ft.). The right fork is the crossover between Through and Granite Canyons. But to complete Through Canyon, continue straight/left to travel southwest along the wide wash. Keep your eyes open for tortoises that inhabit this part of the canyon. (35.794588°, -116.652521°)

7.1 Canyon Split 3 (1,506ft.). Take the north (right) of the two streambeds. Fairly quickly, you will pass to the west (right) of a black hill. Stay in the channel that keeps the black hill on your left and lighter hills to the right except for a few small black humps on the right. Keep going southwest to a place where you can see over the brow of the hill and see the views down below. (35.789747°, -116.659291°)

8.6 Viewpoint (approx.) (1,967ft.). Enjoy views of Owl Lake, the Quail Mountains, the Owlshead Mountains, and more. (approx. 35.778328°, -116.679796°)

History & More

Unlike many canyons in the Owlshead Mountains, Through Canyon is officially named. It is the southernmost of the five named canyons in the northeast part of the Owlsheads.

The canyon received its name because it goes all of the way through the Owlshead Mountains.

Through Canyon (along with Granite Canyon) is a somewhat popular backpacking destination. So you might – gasp! – see another person in the Owlsheads!

If you wish to complete the two canyons (Through and Granite) as a loop, it is recommended that you go up Through Canyon and down Granite Canyon, though of course the choice is up to you.

The Through Canyon-Granite Canyon Loop is usually completed as an overnight trip due to the fact that the loop is approximately 14.9 miles long.

Smoke trees (which may look more like a bush) – Psorothamnus spinosus – bloom prolifically in spring with purple flowers that resemble pea blossoms. The tree in other months may turn brown and be so wispy as to look, from a distance, like blowing smoke.

Smoke trees often signify an area that is frequently flooded. Desert campers have found by hard experience not to set up their tents near a smoke tree forest!

The Amargosa River is 185 miles long, flowing from the Amargosa Valley to Death Valley, where it vanishes into an underground aquifer. It rarely flows above ground in this section except after rain or snowmelt – when it can turn into a dangerous waterway. Chances are you’ll only see water from December-April, though it can flow at any time of year. The word “Amargosa” comes from a Spanish word meaning “bitter.”

The canyons of the Owlshead Mountains are dry, extremely remote, and unmarked. Be prepared for self-rescue and to explore rather than follow a defined route.

Download Route Map

Driving Directions

The unmarked beginning of the route is 6.7 miles south of the northern end of the Harry Wade Road. If coming from the south, the “trailhead” is 12.5 miles beyond the Owl Hole Spring Road.