Desolation Canyon Trail is a 3.6 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Death Valley, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from November until April.
Death Valley National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $15 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $55.
California Travel and Tourism Commision, P.O. Box 1499 , Sacramento, CA, 95812-1499, Phone: 800-862-2543
Directions from Highway 190: From Highway 190, travel 3.7 miles south on Badwater Road. Turn on to Desolation Canyon Road (not marked, look closely for it) and follow the road to the end of the left fork.
February 22, 2021Very gradual incline up until the very end where it got steeper for a little bit! Grand views at the top...make sure you veer right at the end to see them- You could see right down into Artist’s Drive! We practically had the entire trail to ourselves...it was so peaceful!
February 19, 2021February 14, 2021Great canyon hike. Fun little bit of scrambling and incline.
February 2, 2021Great hike through a beautiful canyon leading to a spectacular view at the top. Some scrambling, which requires a good rubbery grip shoe. Lots of interesting features.
January 30, 2021January 10, 2021Beautiful canyon that has the beautiful colors of green hematite. Gorgeous views of the valley below once you get to the top. Has a few places to rock scramble & the ascent to the top is steep.
December 21, 2020December 17, 2020Did on December 12, 2020 Wow. One of my favorite hikes at DVNP. You drive up a gravel road, no 4x4 required or needed. The parking lot is circular and small. No toilets at this location. You’ll see a brown trail marker near the exit of the parking circle. Enter and keep to your right to enter the canyon wash. You will enter the canyon around +/- 1/4 mile. OMG, the color hues on the canyon walls and the rock scrambling up in several locations and then making it to the top to see the amazing views. Breathtaking. There are many trails at the top allowing you to make this trail longer.
December 15, 2020Had some extra time before the sunset for a quicker hike and decided to come here and was super glad I did!! Trail was narrow at some points which gives it an otherworldly feeling. A couple small rock climbs and a few more that you can make your own from the surrounding walls. I didn’t go up the second incline once I was at the top - wanted to catch the sunset elsewhere. But where I did stop was a gorgeous view and a nice place to sit for a few breaths of air after the slight incline of the last 300 feet or so. I would hike this again!
December 12, 2020Cool views!
December 1, 2020November 27, 2020November 26, 2020November 24, 2020Some really steep parts, mainly at end. Some “rock walls” to “climb” - one about 8 ft but the rest were smaller. But those just made it more fun. Really cool terrain - surreal. We added the hill at the end to get to the viewpoint - great view and so peaceful. Highly recommend.
November 5, 2020Awesome hike! Very few people out, I bit of shade during midday but mostly exposed. Some fun little mini rock climbs
October 25, 2020Wow! Do NOT hesitate! The view at the top is breathtaking!
October 19, 2020Beautiful final views. Some rock walls that took us a little navigating to get over. Limited signage but there are rocks on the ground where you shouldn’t go. Gets really hot once the sun is out. Go early
October 13, 2020March 15, 2020Awesome trail and less traveled than the Golden Canyon down the road. It's actually 4 miles round trip if you hike all the way up to the prominence which is totally worth it for the spectacular view. About half way is an 8 foot dry fall that you need to climb. Not easy but doable by most experienced hikers. I got my 70 year old legs up there and my wife too though she was pretty scared going up and even more so coming down. After that there are several rises but with plenty of foot and hand holds so if you can do the 8 footer you can do the rest.
February 23, 2020Amazing hike! This one avoids all the crowds of Golden Canyon, but you still get to hike through a colorful canyon and get an incredible view at the end! A couple of scramble spots, nothing too strenuous
February 10, 2020Beautiful colours, very nice hike leading to a great view over the valley.
January 27, 2020The trail itself is alright - nothing breathtaking but goes closes to artist drive. There is an additional hill you can do at the end - nice view, but fairly steep.
January 10, 2020Great hike, amazing views at the top. 1 approximately 8 foot wall to climb and 2 other smaller obstacles to climb. My 6 year old and 4 year old managed it with some assistance, but they are experienced hikers.
January 4, 2020Easy hike with a couple of 3-5 ft ledges to climb.. beautiful canyon and light traffic.
December 29, 2019Favorite hike after a week in Death Valley. Hiked with baby in a backpack and fit grandparents. Two walls required scrambling but manageable with teamwork. Great views up top. Very few people on the trail. Definitely recommend.
December 27, 2019Awesome views from the top! Took us an hour, forty-five minutes. So glad we ended our DVNP trip with this one!
