Backpacking in Death Valley National Park
4 documented trips · 13,342 total feet of climbing across all routes
Death Valley National Park at a glance
CaliPeaks documents 4 backpacking routes in Death Valley National Park, covering 62.0 miles of trail and 13,342 feet of cumulative climbing. Routes range from 10 mi (Surprise Canyon to Panamint City) to 26 mi (Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop), between 3,271 and 10,951 feet of elevation. The gentlest climbing is on Fall Canyon at 2,460 feet of total gain.
The area is managed by Death Valley National Park (NPS). Wilderness permits are issued by Death Valley National Park (NPS) — check each trip page for quota and reservation windows. The most-recommended months across these routes are October, November, March.
Fall Canyon
Fall Canyon is Titus Canyon without the road: a narrow-walled wash that climbs 6 miles past two dry falls, with the second requiring a scram…
Telescope Peak
Telescope Peak is Death Valley's rooftop: 11,043 feet of Panamint Range granite rising two vertical miles above Badwater. The 7-mile trail f…
Surprise Canyon to Panamint City
Surprise Canyon is Death Valley's oasis walk: 5 miles up a spring-fed canyon on an old washed-out jeep road to the ghost town of Panamint Ci…
Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop
The Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop is Death Valley's signature backpack: 26 miles through polished slot canyons and open desert, linking Cott…