Death Valley National Park Day Hikes

Death Valley is home to incredibly varied and beautiful landscapes. In our last post we wrote about its most famous viewpoints and easily accessible spots. In this post, we share day hikes, some of which are in less-visited areas of the park.

Natural Bridge Canyon is a short hike featuring a large natural bridge. It’s an easy way to experience one of Death Valley’s many canyons, which provide endless nooks and crannies to explore.

Anna walks under the natural bridge.
Once past the bridge, the number of hikers quickly drops off, and you have the canyon almost completely to yourself. There’s a boulder to squeeze under and a small pouroff to scramble up before you reach the larger dryfall that ends the trail.

Ubehebe Crater is a volcanic spectacle half a mile wide and 700 feet deep. You can walk the rim of the crater, then follow the trail over to Little Hebe.

Ubehebe Crater
Walking around the rim of the crater
Little Hebe Crater as viewed from Ubehebe

Mosaic Canyon provides a winding tour of unusual geology. The entire trail is 4 miles, but you don’t have to hike the whole thing to enjoy plenty of beautiful rock.

Classic Death Valley National Park Views

When you think of Death Valley National Park, you are probably envisioning Badwater Basin. It’s extremely dry and one of the hottest places in the world.

So that’s why we decided to visit in January! We experienced highs in the 70s, well below the 110+ degree heat you can expect in the summer months. The record temperature in Death Valley is a blistering 134 degrees!

We attended an excellent ranger talk at Badwater. Check out this program or any ranger talk at your next national park. They are consistently fun, informative, and great for all ages.

Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America
Badwater got its name from a traveler literally writing “bad water” on a map. The water here is too salty to drink.
Salt flats at Badwater Basin

There is so much more to the park than Badwater though.

50% Off Our PCT Book

Our book Pacific Crest Trail: A Journey in Photographs is now on sale for 50% off! Click the Buy Now button to order, and we’ll pack up a book and send it your way.

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Pacific Crest Trail: A Journey in Photographs

When we printed the book, we specified thick high quality sustainable paper, beautifully bound in a solid hardcover that will last forever. We worked closely with the printer to ensure that the colors in every image are true to the PCT’s powerful landscapes.

Adjusting colors at press check

The book is a perfect gift for anyone who loves hiking, nature, or photography. Visit our book page to learn more. You can also order from Amazon with the same great discount.

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Happy holidays, and best wishes to all of you. Hike on!