Death Valley National Park

Best time to visit: November through March

Recommended Hikes: Sidewinder Canyon, Mosaic Canyon, Golden Canyon, Mesquite Flat Sanddunes

Ideal For: Hiking, Camping, Auto-Touring, 4WD Auto-Touring

Where to stay: Campgrounds and hotels at Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells

Park Website - Park Map

Useful Info:

• Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national parks is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on park trails, even when leashed.

• There are great hiking options in Death Valley - but they can't be hiked during summer. Visit in winter to enjoy these routes and explore hidden slot canyons.

• If driving through the park during summer be weary of overheating you car. The road from the valley to the west entrance gate is steep and can be hard on older vehicles.

• The park's north entrance and Scotty's Castle are currently closed due to flood damage. It is scheduled to re-open in 2019/2020. Access to Ubehebe Crater and the Racetrack is open from the south.

• There are gas stations and small general stores at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells.

• Drinking water is available at the visitor center and campgrounds - bring your bottles to fill up.

• There is no shuttle service in Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48 and one of its most underrated. The valley is striking and imposing with steep, rugged mountains that tower above canyons, salt flats, and sand dunes. There is a ton to see here and drive times between attractions are long. The park's huge size makes it feel less crowded than most national parks, even during peak season holidays.

Death Valley is a winter park - visit November through March to be able to hike and see all the canyons. Summers are too hot to visit and older cars may overheat when driving through.

Must See Attractions:

Badwater Basin - The lowest point in North America and a great place to see some of Death Valley's expansive salt flats. Look for the "Sea Level" sign high up the side of the cliff above the Badwater Basin parking area. 

Natural Bridge - An impressive arch made of rocks and mud that have been cemented together over the eons. The arch is about a half mile from the parking area and requires a slightly uphill hike to see.

Mesquite Flat Sanddunes - The most fun place in the park. The dunes are located in between Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek and you can hike across them for as long or as short as you please.

Ubehebe Crater - A deep and impressive volcanic crater - formed from underground fault lines. It's a pretty long drive to get here but its right on the way to the Racetrack if you are heading out there. 

Devil's Cornfield/Devil's Golf Course - Two cool areas that are easily accessible from the main park road. Seeing these attractions will only take about 10 minutes each.

Dante’s View - There is a really cool viewpoint of Death Valley from high above Badwater Basin at Dante’s View. The viewpoint is accessible via paved road and is worth seeing if you have time to make the drive. There is a short hiking trail in this area as well.

Racetrack Playa - Home of the famous "sailing rocks" of Death Valley. You will have to drive 50 miles on rough dirt roads to get here. This drive might be doable for a sedan but it would be extremely slow (under 10 mph) and the cost of getting towed out if anything goes wrong is very expensive. If you have your heart set on seeing it and are worried about your car, you can rent a jeep at Furnace Creek. 

Where to Stay:

Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells both have hotel options and camping options. Both spots are right in the heart of the park and are ideal for exploring Death Valley in its entirety. The park's large size makes staying outside its boundaries unrealistic.

Furnace Creek has a large campground that can be reserved online in advance here. It also has cabin style rustic lodging and a modern hotel which can both be reserved here.

Stovepipe Wells has a small campground which is first-come-first-served, and a rustic hotel which can be reserved here.

There are several more primitive campgrounds throughout the park which are first-come-first-served. They are at higher elevations which make them ideal if you are looking for somewhere to camp in hotter months. 

Hiking in Death Valley:

There are a lot of really cool canyons up and down the valley that you can hike. There are slot canyons, arches, and dryfalls (dry waterfalls) throughout these routes. 

Sidewinder Canyon - This is a must-do hike and it's not very well known. The hike is up a major wash with 4 distinct slot canyons branching off from it. The slot canyons are all located on the right side of the wash as you hike up, and there is a good chance you will have them all to yourself. The trail is not marked on the map, but the trailhead can be found roughly 32 miles down the Badwater Road. Read more about the hike and finding the canyon here.

Mosaic Canyon - Another must-do hike with prominent dryfalls and marble walled slot canyons. The bottom section of this hike is pretty crowded but it becomes more and more empty as you hike further. There are two sections that seem like they are impassable, but if you read the hike description here, you will find instructions on how to get passed them. 

Golden Canyon - This is probably the most popular and crowded hike in Death Valley. Golden Canyon is made up of yellow hills and ridges that look similar to the rock formations found in Badlands National Park. It has several route options which allow for customization. Read more about Golden Canyon here.

Click here for more Death Valley hikes and route descriptions.

Parts that I missed

Scotty's Castle - Currently closed due to flood damage, but scheduled to open in 2019/2020.

Titus Canyon - A steep dirt road leads through Titus Canyon which is one of the most popular canyons in the park. There are also a few hiking options in Titus Canyon. Read more about it here. 

Dirt Road Destinations - Besides the Racetrack and Titus Canyon, there are many more destinations that you can reach via dirt roads. There are several canyons on the west bank of the valley that look to have cool hiking routes, and another dune field at the very northern end of the park called the "Eureka Dunes". 4WD vehicles are best to explore these destinations.

Joshua Tree National Park

Best time to visit: Fall through Spring

Recommended Hikes/Walks: Boy Scout Trail to Willow Hole, Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Ryan Mountain, Split Rock Loop

Ideal For: Hiking, Rock Climbing, Auto-Touring, Horseback Riding, Star-Gazing

Where to stay: north/west side of the park

Park Website - Park Map

Useful Info:

• Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national parks is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on park trails, even when leashed.

• Joshua Tree's desert climate can reach summer temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid summer months if possible. Winter nights can drop below freezing.

• There are a lot of hiking routes in the park that are not marked on the park map. The park newspaper has more details on these routes. Check at the visitor center for more detailed hiking maps as well.

• Joshua Tree has one of the darkest night skies in Southern California, making it a great place for star-gazing and for watching meteor showers.

• Drinking water is available at the visitor center and at the west entrance station, but nowhere else within the park boundaries (including most of the campgrounds). Fill up at the entrance stations, and be sure to bring your own supply if you are planning to stay at the campgrounds.

• Joshua Tree is piloting a shuttle service during spring 2018 and 2019. Read more about it here.

Joshua Trees grow throughout the Mojave desert which spans three U.S. states, but their densest concentration is found in Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. Besides the trees, the park is famous for giant outcroppings of granite boulders, created by tectonic fault lines in the region. Joshua Tree is a desert park and it gets dangerously hot during summer, making fall and spring the most pleasant time to visit. Winter can be cold and windy but still preferable to summer.

Must See Attractions:

North side of the Park - Not a distinct section, but the entire northwestern half of the park is where all the Joshua Trees are concentrated. It is literally a forest of them - they go on and on and seem to be perfectly spaced out between each other. The drive from the park's west entrance to the Pinto Basin Road is spectacular.

Queen Valley Road - This is a dirt road, but it is well maintained and easily handled by all vehicle types when dry. The road is narrow but it is marked as a two-way route. When driving the route, try to go right at forks to avoid coming face to face with another car at a narrow section.

Barker Dam - A nice, short walk to an old dam that was built in the early 1900s by the first pioneers to settle here. This walk can be extended to a hike into a serene patch of Joshua Tree forest, surrounded by piles of granite boulders on all sides. Read more about it in the hiking section below. 

Arch Rock - Located right next to the White Tank campground, Arch Rock is impressive and quite large for a natural bridge made of granite. There is some parking near the trailhead - within the campground. it's a short walk to reach the arch.

Key's View - The highest elevation in the park that you can reach in a car. This viewpoint looks out across the Coachella Valley and on clear days, you can see the Salton Sea and sometimes all the way to Mexico.

Other Granite Outcroppings - There are many outcroppings of granite boulders piled up throughout Joshua Tree. The rocks are weathered into rounded shapes and they really are a cool characteristic of the park. They are very popular for rock climbers but casual hikers can enjoy exploring them and even scrambling up them. Many of the outcroppings have names, and many more do not. Explore at will!

Cholla Cactus Garden - This dense concentration of cacti is worth seeing. Read more about it here.

Where to Stay:

On the north side of the park. The northwest part of the park is the Mojave Desert which is where all the Joshua Trees and granite outcroppings are. The southeast side of the park is the Colorado Desert which is flatter with less vegetation and very few Joshua Trees.

There is a small town just outside of the park's west entrance gate which has a few hotel options and also has houses available for rent on Air BnB.

There are several campgrounds that can be reserved online in advance. These campgrounds a good options and worth booking in advance, but are almost always full on weekends. They can be reserved online in advance here.

There are more first-come-first-served campgrounds in the Mojave section of the park. Each is nestled into granite outcroppings and they offer the best overnight experience in Joshua Tree, especially for star-gazing. These campgrounds have no drinking water so be sure to bring your own. The sites are highly prized and are often full, especially on weekends.

Hiking in Joshua Tree:

If you look at the park map, there doesn't appear to be many hiking routes in Joshua Tree - that is not really the case! There are a lot of trails that are not marked on the main park map. The park newspaper that you get at the entrance station has more detailed hiking options and maps.

Boy Scout Trail to Willow Hole - This is my favorite hike in Joshua Tree. It should be started from the south end of the Boy Scout Trail which is about a mile east of Quail Springs, near the parks west entrance gate. The Boy Scout Trail runs all the way to the park's northern boundary, but the turnoff to Willow Hole is well before that. The Boy Scout Trail runs through some of the most serene patches of Joshua Trees in the park - I highly recommend this hike! Read more about it here.

Barker Dam - The Barker Dam Loop by itself is better classified as a walk than a hike, but it can be extended to explore an area of secluded Joshua Trees that are surrounded on all sides by tall granite rock formations. The exit point to reach this section is to the west of Barker Dam and it runs all the way to the dirt road that leads to Key's Ranch. This area is really tranquil and it can be explored by following the washes that run between the trees. Try to stay in the wash area (deep sand/no vegetation) in this area and avoid cutting your own path across the desert floor.

Split Rock Loop - Not as famous as its cousin Skull Rock Loop, but in my opinion, Split Rock is the better hike of the two. It is a few miles east of the Jumbo Rocks campground. This hike is not marked on the main park map, but there is a sign on the road to points to the turn-off. The hike is a two mile loop among massive granite boulders. If you are comfortable scrambling on the rocks, there are some really cool, tight spaces and caves that you can squeeze through just off the trail. 

Squaw Tank Trail - This is a long hike that is way off the beaten path. This hike starts at the Ryan Campground and the first few miles is on the eastbound California Riding and Hiking Trail. The Squaw Tank Trail splits off from the Riding/Hiking Trail after a few miles. The split off is easy to miss but it is marked by a metal sign and there are more trail markers with arrows further along this route. Squaw Tank Trail mostly follows a wash on a slight downslope through the most remote granite outcroppings in the park. It is an out-and-back hike, so when you have gone as far as you wish, the way back is the way you came. I would estimate this hike to be about 9 miles roundtrip with minimal elevation change. You will likely see nobody else on this trail.

Ryan Mountain - This hike offers a nice climb given most hikes in Joshua Tree are pretty flat. Ryan Mountain is in the center of the park and its peak offers outstanding views in every direction. Read more about the hike here.

Other hikes/walks that you may want to consider are the Skull Rock Loop, the Cholla Cactus Garden, and the Pine City Trail.

49 Palm Oasis and Desert Queen Mine can safely be skipped.

Off the Beaten Track

Geology Tour Road - I haven't driven this as it is advertised as requiring 4 wheel drive, but I have found info online saying that the first 6 miles of it can be handled by most cars. Read more about it here. There a few other rugged dirt roads in the park which require 4-wheel drive for anyone interested in off-road auto-touring,

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Navajo Nation is partially open to tourism. This includes Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, which are currently open, but subject to change. Masks are required throughout Navajo Nation. See more info here.

Best time to visit: Year-around

Ideal For: Hiking and backpacking

Where to stay: Page, AZ

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is located north of the Grand Canyon, on the border of Arizona and Utah. It’s a remote wilderness landscape with no services, and it’s mostly accessible via dirt roads and long hiking routes. The most famous attractions here are the Wave, Paria Canyon, and Buckskin Gulch - all are spectacular. Plan for at least 3 full days to see everything discussed below. 

Useful Info:

• Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national monuments is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on monument trails, even when leashed.

• All permit related information and lotteries can be found here.

• There are a few huge slot canyons that you can explore in the Vermilion Cliffs. They are potentially dangerous during rainstorms. Keep a close eye on the weather across the entire region.

• GPS devices do not work in Paria Canyon and Buckskin Gulch due to the high rock walls.

• Most of the dirt roads in the region are accessible to passenger cars, but they may become un-passable when wet. This is especially true for the road which runs to the Wave Trailhead.

Attractions:

the Wave - The permit you need to apply for is called "Coyote Buttes North" - click here for the permit application website. 10 permits are given out online four months in advance, and another 10 permits are given out the day before with a separate online lottery. You must be physically in the area of Kanab or Page to apply for the day-before lottery. Refer here for more detailed information. The odds of winning a permit are extremely low, but if you are lucky to get one, you will receive a placard for your vehicle and a map with photos that show how to find the Wave.

Paria Canyon - This huge slot canyon is just as impressive as Zion's Narrows with a fraction of the crowds. You can obtain a permit to spend the night in Paria Canyon here. Overnight permits are limited to 20 visitors per night, but day permits have no limit. A popular endpoint for seing Paria Canyon is its confluence with Buckskin Gulch, which joins up with Paria about 7 miles from the "Whitehouse Trailhead". There are also longer backpacking trips into Paria Canyon which eventually runs into the Colorado River at Marble Canyon, AZ. The entire hike is in the Paria River, so wear shoes that can get wet and bring hiking poles for added stability.

Buckskin Gulch - The granddaddy of all slot canyons. Day-hikers can see Buckskin from either the "Wirepass Trailhead" which is the upper mouth of the slot, or from the "Whitehouse Trailhead" which runs through Paria Canyon and is essentially the lower mouth of the slot. Wirepass is a much shorter hike and doesn’t require getting wet, but the mud in this area can be cumbersome. A popular backpacking trip is to start at either Wirepass or Whitehouse and hike through Buckskin and Paria as a through hike. Read more about it here.

Horseshoe Bend - My personal favorite viewpoint in the world. Horseshoe Bend is a must-see if you are in the area. The Park Service recently instituted a $10 entry fee for Horseshoe Bend which was needed and worth paying. Reaching the viewpoint requires a 2 mile roundtrip hike. Horseshoe Bend is extremely popular and you can expect a crowd, all day, every day.

Antelope Canyon - Arguably the prettiest slot canyon in the world. There is an Upper and a Lower Antelope Canyon, both are Navajo Tribal Parks - you must be on an official Navajo Guided tour to see them. There are numerous tour companies which can all be found on google. If you are a photographer, book one of the photography tours that allow tripods. Mid-day tours are the best for seeing the iconic beams of sunlight that shine down into the slot.

Lake Powell - If you are a watersports fan, Lake Powell is a world-class boating destination. Much of the lake features vertical sandstone walls rising out of the water. You can explore these canyons at will if you have or rent a boat. You can also book one of the tour cruises which run daily to various points of interest.

Lee’s Ferry/Marble Canyon - This is a less crowded and very scenic area of the Colorado River, down-stream from the Glen Canyon Dam. Cathedral Wash is great day-hike here that descends through an impressive limestone canyon. The hike ends at the Colorado River and requires some moderate scrambling which is doable for most visitors. Read more about the Cathedral Wash hike here. Another great hike in the area is the Spencer Trail which climbs high above the river below. Read more about the Spencer Trail here.

Alstrom Point - This is an incredible viewpoint above Lake Powell and a great place to camp out for a night. It’s not easy to get to with a pretty rough dirt road, but if you have a 4WD vehicle or are willing to hike the last few miles, Alstrom Point is a very rewarding destination. Read more about it here.

Where to Stay:

Page, AZ is about an hours drive to the Paria, Buckskin, and Wave trailheads. There are no other developed areas in the region.

The "Wahweap Campground" is on the shores of Lake Powell, right next to Page, AZ. There are showers and wifi at this campground. Their website is here. Several other private RV parks are located in the city of Page.