Overview

This picturesque and geologically interesting, but moderately strenuous, 2.6-mile hike starts at Zabriskie Point and runs down narrow canyons to the edge of Gower Gulch. The trail then cuts up over mudhill badlands, passes Manly Beacon, and drops into Golden Canyon. From there, the trail meanders down Golden Canyon to the trailhead.

This one-way hike requires a vehicle shuttle or other arrangement.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is pretty safe, but stay out of the canyons (and off the mudhills) if rain threatens because of flash flood dangers.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this hike is fairly long, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located along Highway 160 in Death Valley National Park, about 2-1/2 hours northwest of Las Vegas. From town, drive out to Death Valley, pay the entrance fee, and then drive to the Zabriskie Point Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the Zabriskie Point trailhead by the information sign (Table 2, Waypoint 10), walk northwest on a well-defined gravel trail for about 1 minute to a low point on the ridge north of the Zabriskie Point overlook. Note that this trail does not follow the paved path westward and up to the Zabriskie Point overlook; the hiking trail runs north from the parking area and across some gravel flats before turning to the west.

The trail climbs the low ridge to a notch that separates the Furnace Creek drainage (to the northeast) from the Gower Gulch drainage (to the southwest). The trail then heads generally westward for 0.4 miles as it drops through narrow, winding canyons to the edge of Gower Gulch Wash (Wpt. 12). From here, you can look back up some 225 vertical-feet and see the Zabriskie Point overlook atop yellow mudhills.

A sign at the edge of Gower Gulch wash says that the Gower Gulch route runs southwest (left) and down the gravel wash, while the trail to Golden Canyon runs northwest (right) and up a mud ridge. At the junction, leave the gravel wash and head up the mud ridge.

The trail crosses the mudhills and drops into shallow badland canyons as it runs for 0.5 miles to another signed trail junction (Wpt. 5). From here, the route to the southwest (left) runs back down to Gower Gulch, while the trail to the northwest (right) runs up a canyon towards Manly Beacon (the white cliff with a sheer west wall) and over into Golden Canyon.

Head northwest up the canyon towards Manly Beacon. The trail starts at a gentle angle, but then climbs steeply to a saddle (Wpt. 04) on the southwest shoulder of Manly Beacon, which is 0.3 miles from the junction.

From the shoulder, the trail runs for 0.4 miles as it cuts across yellow slopes beneath the west face of Manly Beacon and drops steeply into Golden Canyon. The trail intersects the Golden Canyon Trail at trail marker #10 (Wpt. 02).

From the junction, follow Golden Canyon Trail downhill and westward for 1.0 miles to the trailhead (Wpt. 01). For details on this part of the hike, see the description of the Golden Canyon Trail.