Adventure along Trail Canyon Road in the Death Valley NP

Trail Canyon Road is a very exciting desert drive located in Inyo County, in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California. It’s one of the challenging Backcountry roads in the Death Valley National Park.

Trail Canyon Road

Located in the heart of the Death Valley National Park, the road is totally unpaved, with some narrow sections. Passage is slow going with many large rocks. The road leads to a spring and old mining area at the forks of the canyon. After entering the wash, the first side canyon on your left (south) makes a nice short hike. Although some old maps show the road connecting with the Aguereberry Point Road, that section was officially closed to vehicle traffic after a wash-out made it impassable.

Starting from West Side Road, the road is 17.21km (10.7 miles) long. Due to frequent flooding in the area, road conditions often vary throughout the park. For the most up-to-date information on road conditions, visit Death Valley’s website at nps.gov/deva. High clearance 2WD first 4 miles to top of the alluvial fan, then high clearance 4WD on last 5.5 miles. Remember scorpions, rattlesnakes and black widow spiders live here.
Pic&video: Mark Bristol