This is a must do hike up to the top of the plateau for a view of the valley below plus interesting…read moreviews of the mining structures. We also saw wildflowers in March that were unique to this elevation such as the desert 5 spot. The short walk up to the base of the wooden derricks is easy, after that point, the grade is steeper but the path is well marked. The ore was hauled up the mountain using a unique cable system and if you hike up the hill for 20 minutes you will be able to see an ore bucket still attached to the cable up the mountain in the distance. This was actually a successful gold producing mine at the time, one of the few in the area. This site is not busy as it requires a ~ 3 mile drive on dirt roads just to get to it, plus a walk/hike to at least the base of the mine, and you can continue to hike up the hill for as far as you like.

Nice little interpretive trail with interesting history and description of how the borax was…read moreprocessed.

There was so much history at Death Valley! Harmony Borax Works is now registered a National…read moreHistoric Landmark. Harmony Borax Works was the central feature in the opening of Death Valley and the subsequent popularity of the Furnace Creek area. The plant and associated townsite played an important role in Death Valley history. After borax was found near Furnace Creek Ranch in 1881, William T. Coleman built the Harmony plant and began to process ore in late 1883 or early 1884. When in full operation, the Harmony Borax Works employed 40 men who produced three tons of borax daily. During the summer months, when the weather was so hot that processing water would not cool enough to permit the suspended borax to crystallize, Coleman moved his work force to the Amargosa Borax Plant near present day Tecopa, California. Getting the finished product to market from the heart of Death Valley was a difficult task, and an efficient method had to be devised. The Harmony operation became famous through the use of large mule teams and double wagons which hauled borax the long overland route to Mojave. The romantic image of the "20-mule team" persists to this day and has become the symbol of the borax industry in this country. The Harmony plant went out of operation in 1888, after only five years of production, when Coleman's financial empire collapsed. Aquired by Francis Marion Smith, the works never resumed the boiling of cottonball borate ore, and in time became part of the borax reserves of the Pacific Coast Borax Company and it successors. Harmony Borax Works was the central feature in the opening of Death Valley and the subsequent popularity of the Furnace Creek area. Come to visit this fascinating landmark in Death Valley!

Natural Bridge Canyon is a one of the easier hikes with a quick reward, LOVE these! From the…read moreparking lot that has bathrooms it will take about 15 minutes walking up a gentle but constant grade, along pebble floor to the Natural Bridge, which extends across the whole canyon and is quite impressive. Along the way you will see various chutes carved out from flood waters from manyy years ago, you can stand inside of these starring up into the deep blue skies peering out into the beauty of Death Valley to capture GREAT photops. Natural Bridge Canyon offers a short hike 2 miles round-trip with a expansive reward added bonus if you are adventerous continue up past the bridge to see the dry waterfall with the beautiful bluish-green rock colors andd if you are up for scrambling over take in the 20ft dry fall, huge boulders and chutes. ALWAYS bring plenty of H20, be safe and courteous to others.

It's a beautiful arch but nothing extraordinary. Probably my least favorite stop during my recent…read moretrip to Death Valley National Park. I was intrigued by how so few people had reviewed this part of the park, but now I can totally see why. That DRIVE! Ouch. Almost turned around. I was just thinking the whole time like... "Is my car gonna make it through this Gawd awful road?". Saw several cars behind me and a few in front of me just turn right around in the middle of the road. It says it's only 1.5 miles to the parking lot, but it feels like a journey because the road is unpaved and bumpy. If you don't have a 4 wheel drive, good luck and drive slooooow. Once you make it to the parking lot, there are a few restrooms and a trail map. But for that crazy ol' drive, this "hike" up to the arch is super short. AllTrails got it extremely wrong. The whole thing is maybe only about a mile roundtrip. You'll hike up a hill which isn't super steep, but it'll definitely have you huffing and puffing (especially in the heat). And then you'll look up and come up on the arch almost without even knowing it. It's not the most rewarding feeling, but the arch is pretty. I don't know... seeing those massive arches in Utah and Arizona has heightened my expectations. This wasn't worth the long bumpy drive in my opinion. If I could do it again, I wouldn't. I'm glad I can cross it off my list, but there are much better places to explore within the park.

Convenient location, place to stop with my dogs after a drive from St George Utah on the way to…read moreBishop. Fenced, dog potty clean up station, grassy areas and water station. Grass is over grown lots of fox tails, so watch your dogs.

We couldn't find anything that looked like a nice park where we could have lunch. We followed the…read moreyelp directions but didn't see anything that looked like a 'park'. Lots of dry dusty lots.

At this lovely roadside stop - there is a nice shade canopy and picnic table, a very clean bathroom…read moreand a cell relay -- presumably to operate the self serve park pass kiosk BUT it's also terribly convenient for taking pictures of said roadside stop to upload them to Yelp to create a new listing for said roadside stop (DOH! I should have written my review last year when I created this listing, goshdarnit!). Nice spot for waiting for your friends and eating all their snacks that they put in your motorcycle panniers. Save some water for them, though. Or just head to Beatty for cheap beer. :)

Thank you NPS for this CLEAN and convenient place to stop and pay fees, pee, and grab a map…read more There is also a benchmark nearby. Pit toilets are not usually great, but these are new and folks who use them are skilled enough outdoors folks to know that you leave the lid DOWN for the next user.

It was nice, great view of Death Valley. Nice there was information on Father Crowley…read more Not a lot of people there, but then again, it was quite hot that day. We saw a few birds soaring over the valley, it was really a beautiful sight! I wonder how people could have lived there at first, then I realized how. Just beautiful. Go take a visit.

Nice views into Rainbow Canyon: Death Valley National Park…read more Not many people know this spot to be part of the Death Valley National Park... at least I didn't at first but this was my second visit here for the beautiful scenic features. It is located near the western park boundary. When we drive to Las Vegas we stop here to stretch our legs, use the restroom and enjoy the beautiful landscape. Perhaps this lookout is more well known for its use as a military flight training site at Rainbow Canyon. Remember in the original "Star Wars" movie the way the fictional X-Wing starfighters flew through deep corridors of the enemy Death Star?... Air Force and Navy military pilots are known to dangerously but skillfully maneuver their jets (F/A-18E Super Hornets) through the high-walled cliffs that way too and that's why the vicinity has been nicknamed "Star Wars Canyon." It would be so cool to catch this one day as it is never a guarantee which days training flights will take place. We saw a few people there with camera tripods. Rainbow Canyon is below Father Crowley Lookout. There is a plaque on a stone monument at the parking area in memory of Father Crowley. He was known as The Desert Padre. He would often stop here and admire the views when he visited his parishioners to/from Death Valley and his home in Lone Pine. He hit a steer on one of his trips. Review #2123

Of all the places we visited as a family for Spring Break in Death Valley, Fall Canyon was my…read morefavorite. Situated in the northern half of the park, Fall Canyon is accessed via a 3 mile road off the main highway, consisting of dirt, sand, gravel, and rocks up to about the size of a cantaloupe-- not impossible to pass in your 1994 Ford Festiva, but I wouldn't recommend it. The park map suggests a "high-clearance vehicle," which means the few extra inches under a Jeep, a truck, or an SUV could mean the difference between making it to the gravel-covered parking lot, or blowing out your exhaust system on the rocks... the latter could prove to be life-threatening in the heat of the desert. That said, before setting out on any hike in DV, be sure to prepare: even traveling with my 4x4 truck, we carried two gallons of water per person in the truck, with Camelbacks that stored 3 liters of water each during our hikes, plenty of shelf-stable snacks like dried fruit, nuts, and trail mix, sunscreen, a couple of lighters, a good knife, light clothing, hats, a first aid kit... I know, rather Boy Scout of us, but you don't take chances when you're traveling on the periphery of civilization with young kids. Phones generally don't work here. Now that all the worry stuff is out of the way... Fall Canyon is desolate and beautiful. Unlike any canyon in my local San Gabriel mountains, Fall Canyon's stark rock walls, carved by aeons of occasional swift moving flash flood waters, rise in stark contrast from the flat canyon bottom of gravel and rocks. This place is a rockhound's dream: if you know where to look, a geology enthusiast can find pre-Cambrian igneous rock (that's nearly 1.7 billion years old, Mildred), limestone, sandstone, breccia, conglomerate, mudstone, quartz, quartzite, gypsum, and maybe even a few other surprises, brought here from far away by fast moving waters. During our trip in April, the area was flecked with colorful wildflowers, growing in earnest against the deadly heat just a few weeks away, and providing food for voracious hornworm caterpillars, eating as fast as they could. A beautiful collared lizard crossed our path, and we had a brief photo-shoot with it before releasing it unharmed. As the sun went down, lots of bats emerged from the caves in the canyon walls, feasting early evening insects. With young kids, we only journeyed about a mile and a half into the canyon. In some places, the slot canyon narrows, while in other areas, it is wide; in most cases, the steep walls on either side keep you directly on the path. I can't wait to return to this area either sans offspring or when they are a little older and can carry their own water, to further explore the deeper parts of this beautiful area.

NO FALLING, JUST A LITTLE SLIPPING!!!!…read more BACKGROUND: Fall Canyon is one of many colorful ravines in the hills surrounding Death Valley in California; shaped by occasional flash floods that flow from the higher mountains beyond, the canyon is remote and little-visited; deep and moderately narrow for many miles, with occasional shaded, cave-like passageways of great beauty. Some of these narrow, twisting sections are enclosed by smooth granitic walls with an unusual bluish tint. As with most other Southwest canyons, the rocks are layered, but quite differently to the orderly slot canyons of Utah - here the strata are multi-colored, buckled, twisted and eroded, the result of ancient geological forces. Fall Canyon is easily reached and offers a perfect wilderness experience, though it should be avoided during the summer months when the weather becomes too extreme. STATS: Distance: 9 miles Elevation Gain: Approx. 2,200ft. or roughly 400-500ft./mile ESSENTIALS: At least 2 liters of water Know your limits Comfy hiking shoes with good lugs Layered Clothing High protein food/snacks Electrolytes Camera Hat (optional) Sunscreen Trek poles (optional) High profile vehicle (strongly recommended) OUR ROUTE: Before heading home from a magically majestic weekend in Death Valley, me and The Crew headed here to Titus-Fall Canyon for a quick in-&-out. The drive from the paved road to the trail head was more than a little dirty and dusty, it was quite bumpy, thank goodness for high profile vehicles. Low profile cars would probably bottom out and leave a trail of car parts on the road. From the trailhead we headed up a soft sandy wash for about three miles, similar to the one at Furnace Creek. There is very little elevation gain, so it's completely doable for beginner hikers. It's the sandy wash provides a quad workout. The canyon closes in a smidge and provides some shade and the shadows created by the slightly limited shinning sun creates some breathtaking sites and colors of the slot canyon. The slots in this canyon don't get so narrow that packs have to be removed, and there's no need to spoon to the left or spoon to the right to get through. There are offshoot slots throughout this wash, which are worth taking a gander, especially if you are not wanting do all nine miles of this hike. Although there are no signs leading you to the end of the trail, the mouth of a 30ft. waterfall will be your sign that the end is here. DISCLAIMER: Hiking is not something that can be taken lightly. It can be life-threatening as you see and hear on the news, people die or get lost all time. Please, if you are going to hike, never go alone and prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Remember when going for a hike, no matter how short you think it may be, always be prepared. Carry at least two liters of water for every five miles (more if the weather is warm), protein bar, nuts, and electrolytes. Wear sturdy lug sole shoes and protective clothing. Some areas the weather can change quicker than a fireman can put on his gear. It is also very important, always always always let a family member or friend know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Lastly, have fun when you hike it up. Review 86 Yelp 100+ Challenge 2015 #deathvalley #hikingdeathvalley #hiking #belowsealevel

There are two ways to enjoy Titus Canyon: to hike in from the park, or to drive through the entire…read morething starting outside the park in nearby Rhyolite. If you choose to hike, then you can drive in on the well-maintained dirt road that leads from Scotty's Catle Road and park at the designated area, walk past the sign the says DO NOT ENTER ONE WAY ONLY (this is only for vehicles), and explore the canyon at your leisure. Just be careful for the cars, trucks, and motorbikes coming from the other direction that you will be sharing the road with. I recommend the driving option. If your vehicle is not high-clearance, there are Jeep rentals in the park that will make life a lot easier for you. I would NOT recommend doing this road without a high-clearance 4x4, though we saw plenty of people doing just that in sedans who apparently do not care much about the state of their undercarriage. The road is rocky, rough, and at times very steep. The most important thing to note about driving Titus Canyon Road is that it is ONE WAY. You must LEAVE THE PARK out towards Beatty on HWY 374 and then turn around and come back in via Titus Canyon. (While you're out that way, you might as well drive the extra few miles into Beatty and fill up your tank--gas is much cheaper out there than in the park! Oh...and you might want to stop and take a look at the awesome ghost town of Rhyolite while you're out there as well!) Once you are on Titus Canyon Road, you will first deal with a long stretch of washboard conditions, which will be sure to rattle you up. Eventually the road starts up into beautiful hills, and winds around through wide canyons before starting up Red Pass, a section which might give pause to those not used off-roading, but will not be a problem to those with any experience. Just don't drive off the side, OK? Once you arrive at the summit you will have fantastic views for your reward before working your way down the other side. At this point you will pass the ghost town of Leadfield, where you can make a quick stop to see some old mining buildings and even make your way up to the (gated) entrance of the mine itself. The last leg of the journey makes its way through a slot canyon that at some points narrows so much that you can reach out either side of the vehicle and touch the walls! Also, there are petroglyphs tucked away in the canyon as well! This is a fantastic trip, and well worth the effort it takes to make the drive. You should plan for it to take at least a half of your day, more if you choose to visit Beatty and Rhyolite. The time it takes to do the whole thing depends entirely on how often you stop and how many unprepared people in highway vehicles are on the road gumming everything up. This is a classic Death Valley experience not to be missed by those with the ability to do it!

A highlight in Death Valley! Definitely want a vehicle that can go off-roading for this valley…read moreadventure. There are a few deserted mine that you can stop at and visit as well as picturesque landscapes that highlight the beauty of Death Valley. The canyon itself is pretty cool and scenic. It's towards the end so when you get to the canyon then you'll exit the mountain and back onto the main roads. Great to pair with the Ryolite Ghost Town in Nevada as well. We finished the Titus Canyon road in about 2.5 hours including stopping at the sights.