Best Day Hikes in
DEATH VALLEY
NATIONAL PARK
Death Valley is a great place to hike. Really! From Golden Canyon to Panamint Dunes to Zabriskie Point, here are my favorite tales—along with the best trails in the hottest, driest place on the continent.
Why Go: To walk through a landscape where geology is exposed in dramatic clarity—painted cliffs, shifting dunes, and vast desert basins that change with light and time.
Before You Go: This is the hottest, driest place in North America—plan carefully, start early, and let distance, elevation, and temperature guide your choices.
Featured Hikes
Badlands of gold and rust, where light ignites the rock
Wind-shaped dunes that glow at sunrise and erase your tracks
A high perch above the lowest place in North America
Polished marble narrows, sculpted by flash floods
Explore Further
Eureka Valley, Scotty’s Castle & Racetrack Valley :
Walk among the mysterious “moving rocks” on a remote desert playa.
Tour a desert hacienda and walk to panoramic views above Grapevine Canyon.
Circle the rim of a vast volcanic crater in a stark desert setting.
Grand views from the crest of the Last Chance Range.
Stovepipe Wells and Beyond:
From Hell’s Gate to expansive views of the central valley.
A quieter canyon with polished narrows and fewer visitors.
Easy access to classic desert dunes shaped by wind and light.
Marble walls embedded with colorful rock fragments.
A boardwalk walk through habitat of the rare desert pupfish.
A twisting route through narrow, high-walled canyon country.
Furnace Creek & Amargosa Range:
Walk across shimmering salt flats at the lowest point in North America.
A high panorama rivaling Dante’s View—without the crowds.
One of the park’s most famous overlooks, with sweeping valley views.
Badlands hike past Red Cathedral and Manly Beacon to sweeping views.
Short hike to a large rock bridge, chutes, and desert grotto.
Panamint Valley & Panamint Ridge:
A surprising year-round creek and waterfall hidden in the desert.
A long trek to the ruins of a desert mining town.
Remote, star-patterned dunes for those willing to venture farther.
The park’s highest summit, with bristlecone pines and sweeping views.
Historic charcoal kilns and a rewarding mountain ascent.
More Death Valley hikes will be added as this collection continues to grow.
