Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon is a 16-mile out-and-back in Death Valley National Park. This is a two-day hike with mild elevation gain and some route-finding. It is a perfect winter overnight backpacking trip in the Southern California desert.
Region: Pacific West (Death Valley National Park, California)
Length: 16-20 miles (2 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Route gains ~250 feet per mile heading into the canyon
- Tread isn’t marked trail, but footing isn’t hard
- Short hike; water carries aren’t excessive even if spring is dry
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Walk-up permit easily available for overnight camping
- Parking on the side of the road is simple
- Route-finding needed, no trail across wash into canyon
Season: Winter
Elevation (Average): ~1,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~2,900 feet
Hiking Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon
This is the second route from our recent trip to Death Valley. The Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop can be found here.
The Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon hike is, for the most part, a mellow backpacking overnight. Most people will be fine leaving later in the morning and having plenty of time at camp, then enjoying just a few hours on the way out the next morning. The biggest thing with this route is figuring out where to go. The foothills of the Funeral Mountains all look very similar, and it’s easy to wind up between two massive volcanic ash features and get funneled into the wrong canyon. Stay on top of the GPS track, and you should be fine.
Keep in mind that the GPS track doesn’t have to be followed to the most minute degree: use your eyes and your brain to navigate the best direct path, but use the track as a guideline for getting to the right canyon.
The hike begins by leaving your car by the side of the road and walking out into the desert wash. It feels like the start of a post-apocalyptic movie, but you’ll be fine. There is no trail, so we just veered in the direction of the canyon entrance, picking our way over rocks and walking through the smoothest sections of the wash. Four miles later, we were at the foothills of the Funeral Mountains, and Jeff used the GPS track to guide us around the last corner and into the canyon. There are a few spots where you’ll have to circle around a dry waterfall, but overall, it’s a very straightforward hike from here on out.
About 3.5 miles later we reached a massive cairn, and from here, it was less than a mile to the spring. The section through the canyon is lovely. Some parts seem more like a trail, but mostly this is desert walking: choose the path of least resistance. Once we reached the spring we filled up on water, then set up camp on a nice ledge a bit farther on. You can continue past this point and gain more elevation toward the pass, but the out-and-back to the spring is a wonderful winter trip.
Getting to Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon
Closest Major City: Las Vegas, Nevada (151 miles)
This “trailhead” is super easy to access: you’ll just park your car on the side of US 190 at mile marker 104, a few miles from Furnace Creek Ranch. Be sure to grab an overnight permit from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and leave it on your dashboard.
Note that our GPX track might put your vehicle parking space at the wrong mile marker up the road, so just make sure you park at Mile 104 and aim towards the GPX track and mouth of the canyon from there.
You can get to Death Valley in just two hours from Las Vegas by heading south to Pahrump, Nevada. I recommend grabbing food and gas in Pahrump, then driving 190 into the park via Death Valley Junction.
When to Hike Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon
This is a perfect winter overnight, and can also be hiked in early spring and later fall, if you don’t mind hotter temperatures. We hiked this route in the middle of February, and it was glorious. Temperatures were in the mid 60s during the day, and mid-30s overnight, at around 2,000 feet of elevation. Weather is cooler in the canyon once the sun drops out of sight, so be prepared with a warmer sleeping bag than you think you might need, and a few extra layers.
Logistics: Permits / Camping, Navigation, Water
Much like our other Death Valley route, the face-value logistics are simple: it’s an out-and-back; you literally park your car on the side of the road and walk away from it. But desert hiking takes extra planning and navigation, so come prepared.
Permits / Camping: Permits are free and available as walk-ups at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. If you have a National Parks Annual Pass that will take care of the park fee. If not, you’ll need to pay the $30. Death Valley is odd because you don’t pay an entrance fee at the park, since US 190 is a route through this region, but for usage like this, you’ll need to pay. You don’t need to reserve anything for overnights in advance, and camping is allowed anywhere along the route, just be sure to follow all LNT guidelines.
Navigation: If anything will mess you up on this route, it’s finding the right canyon entrance. Once you start across the wash, aim yourself at the mouth of the canyon on your map or GPS tracker, and just stay vigilant. Once you enter the canyon it’s easy, but before then, the wash can be more confusing than you think. Luckily, if you get confused, you can just turn around and see your car and orient yourself from there. Getting out is easy—you’ll be able to see the salt flat from 5 miles back, and the road appears in eyesight faster than you think it will.
Water: The spring at the back of the canyon should be reliable, but as always, plan like it won’t be. With the navigational uncertainty of the route, you don’t want to run out of water if you end up hiking longer than you anticipate. We had cooler weather and carried 3 liters each, preparing to not have any at the back of the canyon.
Know Before You Go
Cell Service: There is barely any. Jeff had better luck with Verizon than I did with ATT, and there’s no wireless unless you’re staying at one of the locations. Download the GPX file before you enter the park, and make sure it’s available offline. I also recommend taking a screenshot of the hike description, and planning whatever you need in advance.
Food and Gas: You can get food and gas in the park, but it’s expensive and options are limited. Pahrump and Beatty both have food and fuel. Coming from Vegas means you hit Pahrump right in the middle of the drive. The town has an Albertsons and Walmart.
Temperature Fluctuations: While it might be 60 degrees or warmer when you start, desert nights are cold, and desert nights in the canyon are colder. Bring warmer camp clothes and a sleeping bag than you think you might need. Sun protection in the form of sunscreen, a hat, or a sun shirt is recommended for crossing the wash. I carried a 20-degree sleeping bag and a puffy and my feet got pretty cold at night.
Pack It Out: Just going to remind you all to pack out your poop.
Campfires: Fires were not permitted in the backcountry during our trip. This was noted at the visitors center and the ranger station.
Flash Floods: Flash floods can happen at any time of year, but visitors and hikers in fall and spring should use extra caution and keep tabs on the weather, especially in the canyons.
