Golden Canyon to Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park

Golden Canyon trail, passing the Manly Beacon

There’s a lot of hikes in the National Park system that get a lot of press as the “best hikes”. And, when I say “press”, I am not just talking about articles written by journalists and bloggers. I am talking about word-of-mouth hikes that are discussed between hikers and non-hikers; discussions that percolate world-wide about places that should be seen or, in some cases, depending on who is talking, have to be seen. A lot of these hikes deserve the reputation and the discussion that they get; and a lot of these hikes don’t deserve the reputation that they get. I’m not going to weigh in about which hike deserves what as it’s a matter of personal opinion in my book. What I will say, is that the best secret hike in the National Park system is the hike(s) I’m talking about here and last week: Golden Canyon.

It’s the best secret hike in the National Park system because not many people know about Death Valley. It just doesn’t have the cache of a Yellowstone, Yosemite, or Grand Canyon. Even people that know about Death Valley don’t talk about Death Valley. In this sense, knowing about Death Valley is like knowing about Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club, and knowing about Death Valley is not to talk about it. It’s the best secret hike because of what you get to see: as I talked about last week, there’s amazing slot canyons to walk through and explore, there’s the Red Cathedral, there’s the Manly Beacon, there’s abandoned mines, and to top it all off, the reason the terrain is so spectacular is that you’re walking in an area that used to be a giant lake – Lake Manly. As an added bonus, this hike is full of opportunities to explore. Many times, on many trails, you are left with limited opportunities to see what else is out there. In Golden Canyon, there are ample places to wander off to and things to see. For these reasons, I rate it as the best hike in the National Park system that you’ve never heard of. So, if you like “best hikes”, this is a must-do in my book.

 Golden Canyon trail, looking back toward the Panamint Range

Directions: Follow the directions I discussed last week here: http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/3/6/golden-canyon-to-red-cathedral-death-valley-national-park.html to get to Golden Canyon. From Marker 10 of the trail discussed in that previous post, you can turn out to the Red Cathedral or continue on to Zabriskie Point. To get to Zabriskie Point, follow the signed turnoff, whereupon the trail will become markedly steeper for the next half mile (.5). To your immediate left (North) will be the Manly Beacon, which you will eventually pass before heading down into a series of gulches before heading up again toward Zabriskie Point. At around three quarters of a mile from the turnoff (.75), there will be a number of mines that you can peer into before continuing toward Zabriskie Point. It is worth noting that through this stretch of trail, the trail is not well marked, in that there are not many signs, and there are a few areas to navigate where if you are not familiar with the area, you could get momentarily lost.

 View from Zabriskie Point to Gower Gulch

However, this area is well worn by the soles of many hikers, and one should be able to follow the worn trail in areas where there are not trail markers. While I don’t generally recommend following foot trails blindly, this is an area where you should not get lost; and if, in the worst case scenario, you are not carrying a map and do get lost, I recommend that you climb to a high point (of which there are plenty) in this region, and look either East, whereupon you will see the highest point: Zabriskie Point which you then can head to. Once you reach a wash at one mile past Marker 10 (2 miles from the Golden Canyon parking lot), you will see a sign directing you toward Gower Gulch or Zabriskie Point. At this point, you can either head back down Gower Gulch, and toward the Golden Canyon parking area, for a roundtrip distance of four miles (not counting diversions to the Red Cathedral); or you can head up the last half mile of trail to Zabriskie Point.

 View from Zabriskie Point toward the Red Cathedral/Manly Beacon

This last half mile of trail is steep, and does ascend a fair amount of vertical distance to Zabriskie Point; but the end result is worth the effort, as the view from Zabriskie Point encompasses the Manly Beacon, Gower Gulch, portions of Golden Canyon, the badlands surrounding them, and in the distance, Telescope Peak. From Zabriskie Point, you can either drive to other park destinations, should you have someone picking you up, or you can walk back down Golden Canyon for a total roundtrip distance of five miles (again assuming no additional stops). My personal preference is to head back to Golden Canyon through Gower Gulch (http://youtu.be/J_ndksa2t6s), which has interesting formations and slot canyons, for a total hike of six and a half miles (6.5), and this distance does include a stop at the Red Cathedral on the way to Zabriskie Point. Alternatively, you can start at Zabriskie Point and work your way down on these same routes.

Tips: Do take a map and plenty of water on this hike; as I noted above, there is the potential to get mildly, or if you are truly talented, excellently lost at places on this hike. Do also be aware that the majority of this hike is exposed, and you will get quite hot on it even in the wintertime. In addition to the tips described last week and today in the main body of the blog, a great spot for photos is once you are next to the Manly Beacon, facing West. You will have great views of Death Valley proper and the Panamint Range.

More Information: http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=205476, http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Golden_Cyn/_Golden.htm, http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Zab_Golden/_Zab_Golden.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabriskie_Point

Update on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 5:00PM by Last Adventurer

And, weirdly enough - don't just take it from me, Paul and Lisa were just at Golden Canyon/Gower Gulch, and had a great time as well: http://drivinginertia.com/1352/death-valleys-gower-gulch-loop-hike-through-golden-canyon/

But shhh - it's a secret!

Telescope Peak, Death Valley National Park

Telescope Peak in summer

Telescope Peak, in my mind, is a hike full of contrasts. In 2002, I solo climbed Mt. Whitney in day at the end of May, and then got in my car and drove into Death Valley to camp at Mahogany Flat. At sunrise, I was up and on the Telescope Peak trail, and after a few hours of vigorous hiking, had summited Telescope, Bennett, and Rogers well before the day was half over. On that day, it felt like the trail positively flew away under my feet. Then again, I suppose anything after Mt. Whitney the day before would seem easy. However, on a subsequent trip to Telescope Peak, the stretch of trail from Arcane Meadows to the summit seemed to me to be the longest trail ever created. Two things are clear about the Telescope Peak trail: first, that it winds up and around to the 11,331 summit of Telescope Peak, which is the highest mountain in Death Valley National Park and the Panamint Range; and second, that it has stunning views of the surrounding terrain.

 Telescope Peak in early winter (Yes, there is snow!)

Directions: If you’re headed to Telescope Peak, you’re going to want to start from the trailhead at the Mahogany Flat Campground. Directions to Mahogany Flat are found here in my post covering Telescope’s neighboring peak, Rogers Peak: http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/2/22/rogers-peak-death-valley-national-park.html.

From Mahogany Flat, the trailhead is readily apparent as it starts from the parking area adjacent to the campground. You will want to sign the logbook before starting on the trail, in order to let the National Park Service know where you are headed in case you have a problem for whatever reason. From the logbook, the trail heads up along the Eastern side of Rogers Peak. Alternatively, if you want to bag Rogers, Bennett, and Telescope in a day, you can start your hike by heading up the NPS access road described in my Rogers Peak post above, before meeting up again with the main Telescope Peak trail at Arcane Meadows. At this point, let’s discuss how the trail to Telescope Peak is: if you read the NPS account, and many of the links below, as well as others, the hike is described as “strenuous”, as you gain ~3000 feet in elevation to the summit from Mahogany Flat over the course of seven miles (7) one way.

 View of the Sierra Nevadas from Arcane Meadow

To a certain extent, I agree: any fourteen mile round-trip hike at an elevation between 8,000-11,000 feet is not easy. But strenuous? I think this depends on your physical conditioning, and whether you are acclimatized. In my opinion, if you are hiking this trail in spring, fall, or summer, when there is no snow, it is a moderate hike. During these times, your biggest concerns will be two things: dehydration and acclimatization. I find the hike during these times to be very relaxing and a moderate hike. Yes, you are experiencing substantial elevation gain; but then again, you have a long distance to do so – seven miles each way. I think the elevation gain is by and large, very gradual over the distance involved, which in conditions with no snow, makes it moderate in my book. If there is snow – which if you are going in winter, you should be prepared for with the appropriate gear – ice axes and crampons – the hike is definitely strenuous – but at that point, it’s more of a climb than a hike.

 View of Death Valley proper, from the Telescope Peak summit

In any case, as you head up from Mahogany Flat, the trail is well marked, graded, and winds around up toward Arcane Meadows. During the last half mile before Arcane Meadows, you will be on a section of trail that drops off to the South. Through this stretch, I would recommend watching your footing on the shale rocks so as to avoid a nasty fall. After this section of trail, you will crest a slight rise and be in Arcane Meadows at  9,263 feet; you will know you are in Arcane Meadows as it is nearly completely flat (the definition of a meadow), and there is a rock cairn built by former hikers next to the trail. From Arcane Meadows, the trail continues its slow-but-sure ascent up to the summit of Telescope while passing Bennett Peak. During this time, there are fantastic views to the West (of the Sierra Nevada) and to the East (of Death Valley proper). The last section of trail before the summit is the steepest; however, if you have made it this far, there is probably little doubt that you will make the summit. From the summit, there is an amazing three hundred and sixty degree view of the surrounding area; and on a clear day, to Charleston Peak by Las Vegas, and to the Sierra Nevadas to the North and West. Once you’re done taking in the view, you will head back down the way you came, unless you are traversing over Bennett and Rogers, as described in my previous post.

 Tips: As discussed above, and in the post about Rogers, if you are heading out to attempt this hike or climb in winter, do take the proper gear, as there will be ice and snow. It is also worth noting that most, if not all of the hike is exposed after Arcane Meadows, and even in the summer, there can be strong gusting winds that can affect a hiker. And, while this is a great summer hike to beat the 114 degree heat of Death Valley proper, do take lots of water to avoid dehydration as it is quite dry, even at that elevation.

 Telescope Peak summit, looking North.

More Information: http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Telescope%20&%20Wildrose%20Peaks-2.pdf, http://www.dankat.com/swhikes/tscope.htm, http://www.summitpost.org/telescope-peak/150584