Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral is a 2.9 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 and nature trips and is best used from October until March.
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. The Golden Canyon Trail is a short hike up Golden Canyon to the base of the Red Cathedral formations. This is a popular day-hike that starts at a marked trailhead with parking on Badwater Rd., just south of Furnace Creek. The first mile of the the trail is a mild hike up a canyon surrounded on all sides by golden rock formations and slot canyons. After mile one reaches a junction for the Gower Gulch trail. Continue past this point into a narrow slot canyon. The trail becomes more difficult here, requiring one to scramble over rocks until reaching the top of the slot canyon and the base of Red Cathedral. The view at the top here is spectacular! After enjoying the top, head back down and out of the slot canyon. Then either hike back down Golden Canyon to the trailhead, or extend the hike and take the junction for Gower Gultch. As anywhere in DVNP, the heat can be extreme, even outside of summer. Carry extra water!
April 1, 2021Amazing!!!!
March 31, 2021beautiful view at end great work out
March 30, 2021
March 28, 2021March 28, 2021Hiked this two weeks ago, and weather was perfect, high of 72. It was very crowded, and last section but red cathedral is hard to figure out, and a bit sketchy getting up to the red rocks on loose rock, where you might need poles. You dont have to go all the way up, to enjoy it.
March 27, 2021It was amazing and exciting
March 24, 2021March 24, 2021Moderate inclining trail to beautiful red cathedral like rocks. Worth scrambling to get to the top and sit at the foot of the cathedral where the views are stunning. If you go this way you can make it a loop by following the trail right in front of you. It is actually an easier way to get down.
March 23, 2021Incredible hike, filmed the experience in 4. Can view it here for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up4T928-4GA&list=PLmZertFtUJJhyNH3OsKA7GLmt4fB7c8uR&index=17
March 23, 2021Excellent ! Absolutely gorgeous views from the top. You can also make this about an 8 mile loop. I looped this with the other big view on the other side (can’t remember the name) , but it was a great 8 mile hike!
March 23, 2021One of the most underrated and under-appreciated aspects of the park. All the trails that intersect between Golden Canyon and Zabriskie Point are some of the best in the park, this is one of them. Red Cathedral is beautiful once you are directly beneath it especially.
March 22, 2021Easy-moderate difficulty unimpressive hike. The first section of the canyon was pretty boring and flat. Red cathedral was like a poor man's Bryce canyon. Heavily trafficked and very windy when I went. Decent sized parking lot. Mostly exposed. Views were mediocre
March 21, 2021March 20, 2021Absolutely stunning, wish we had more time to explore the area. Pictures will never do justice! If you come to DV this is a must, make sure to go to the very top of that big one
March 16, 2021March 16, 2021Awesome views, Mars on earth
March 15, 2021March 11, 2021Enjoyed the rock squeezes and short scrambles at end. Easy incline to that point.
March 10, 2021Nice canyon walk. Fairly gentle grade until the last short section. Short scramble among boulders was fun. I found the view of the red rocks close up less impressive, but the view looking back to the basin was beautiful!
March 9, 2021March 8, 2021March 6, 2021Pretty easy with some tighter squeezes and scrambles at the top. Wear good shoes and maybe bring poles if you fear slipping.
March 5, 2021nice short hike
March 4, 2021March 3, 2021March 2, 2021February 28, 2021February 21, 2021February 20, 2021February 17, 2021Hermosísimo! Si no puedas completar la ruta completa entre Gower Gulch y Badlands Loop, vale pasar por esta catedral roja. Las vistas por el sendero están bellísimas, y las formaciones de las rocas al final se asombran. Hay varias rutas no oficiales que usan fotógrafos, y el sendero viene más rocoso al acercarse de la catedral, y es divertido escalar un poco entre las rocas grandes en el sendero. también es apropiado para los niños que tengan algo de experiencia con hiking.
