It is one of our favorite hikes in Death Valley National Park! Kids were running around, hikers were exploring various side trails, and families were climbing on the rocks for photos. Nature Parks. On Inn-based hiking tours you'll hike by day and at night sleep in cabins, hotels, or lodges. take the arrows advice! The hike gains elevation going on, so the hike back is easy. Walled with both mosaic conglomerates and smooth marbleized rocks, Mosaic Canyon is a fine specimen the geology of Death Valley National Park. A few scrambles at the end of the trail. hiking vacations that enrich people's lives." Here and there you will also see outcroppings of the mosaic breccia after which the canyon is named: angular pieces of different types and colors of rock cemented into larger parent rocks. There is just enough rock scrambling and navigating through obstacles to keep things interesting. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Moderate to hard. Did not see rattlesnakes since it was probably too hot for them but very hard to see in rock dense areas so be careful, Hot but beautiful! Hands down the prettiest trail of Death Valley. Exercise caution on the hike back. Mosaic Canyon Trail | Death Valley | Hikespeak.com At the trail head you can see a map of Mosaic Canyon on the sign post. The trailhead is located at the end of the 2.5 mile long Mosaic Canyon Road that starts right in the town of Stovepipe Wells. Turn around here and return to your car. The trail narrows and widens numerous times and there are enough obstacles to keep you interested until you reach the end. Look for arrows 3. Thisdebrisisdepositedjust past the canyon mouth. Mosaic Canyon Trail: 2395 Reviews, Map - California | AllTrails My teenage boys loved climbing up the rocks. Thanks for the note about the slippery rocks I will definitely keep that in mind when I make it there . Beautiful hike. Mosaic Canyon 2023 It's Not About the Miles Travel Media LLC, Hike the Bluff Trail in Montana de Oro State Park, Hiking Hidden Valley Nature Trail in Joshua Tree National Park, Hike the Barker Dam Nature Trail in Joshua Tree, Bird Island Trail in Point Lobos State Reserve, The Best Hiking Trails in Point Lobos State Park, Moonstone Beach Boardwalk in Cambria, California, Las Vegas to Death Valley Day Trip (Itinerary + Map!). Is the road to get to Mosaic Canyon require 4 wheel drive? Difficulty:Moderate But there is a way through this obstacle. We hope you enjoy your time in Death Valley. As you walk back out of the canyon, you get beautiful views of the canyon walls and out into the valley, so stop to enjoy them and snap photos! When hiking, we also always carry awhistlethat also has a compass and thermometer, hand sanitizer, a pocketknife. Flagstaff, Arizona 86004, "Wildland Trekking is about Inspired Exploration. Wet boots and sand can make the smoothly polished rock scrambles quite treacherous. Gravel road for 2 miles to parking area. Our blog is honest, straight-forward, and based on personal experiences. NATIONAL PARKS: In our Guide to the US National Parks, get the full list of national parks with important travel planning information, such as things to do in the parks and sample itineraries. Where I stopped there was a cave in looks like the trail is 0.3 miles shorter both ways If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This was FUN. As the trail continues into upper Mosaic Canyon, it narrows once more and again the rocks change form and feel at times it doesnt even feel like the same hike. Here, hikers are greeted almost immediately by slick, winding narrows. Trail features narrow carved canyon scrambling over boulders, etc. Because you might fall of the edge of the trail near the cliffs or drop offs. It was the perfect end to our Death Valley adventure. There is a general store at Stovepipe Wells Village, where you can pick up water if you didnt bring any with you. 2.4 miles on dirt road but flat, hard, fine with a 2WD van (or any car). Feel free to reach out! Although, please take this advice with a grain of salt. Beautiful. Some of those have a precipitous drop to one or both sides in some stretches. their lives enriched, by the wonders of our amazing planet. Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, 5 Easy Tips for Badlands Loop Hike in Death Valley, 6 Tips for Hiking the Unique Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley, Everything You Need To Know for a Fun Time at Death Valleys Teakettle Junction, Bluetti for Camping: The Ultimate Power Station Review. Started @ 0500 and it was about 90 degrees so make sure you get on it early in summer. Near the beginning is the slotted portion of smooth marble canyon walls which later opens up to very large opening, then 30/40 minutes later narrows and boulder climbing becomes a small hurdle (not too difficult) but important to note if you have mobility challenges. An early morning hike could begin chilly and then warm up very quickly during your hike. I am so glad we didnt do the short version of the hike! Mosaic Canyon is the perfect hike for geology lovers, and those seeking adventure. Thanks for all the helpful tips! As you can see below in the photo's, this section of the trail is very impressive.After 0.5 miles the canyon opens up to a wide gravel wash. We turned around at the dry waterfall at about 1.5 miles. The Mosaic Canyon Trail is located near the Stovepipe Wells area of Death Valley National Park, about 35 minutes from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. From the trailhead, the trail immediately enters and canyon and passes through the first set of narrows, where the canyon is only a few feet wide. Death Valley National Park Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour. Do you have any questions about how to hike Mosaic Canyon? I would appreciate it if you had an answer to my inquiry starting, " We are planning.", Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park: Address, Phone Number, Mosaic Canyon Reviews: 4.5/5. Do the full hike, or not 4. Mosaic Canyon Trail is an out-and-back trail, 4 miles round trip. At about 2/3 of the way into the hike, you reach a boulder jam. Find out what we carry in our day packs and what we wear on the trails. For more information, please see. The dirt road is about 2.3 miles long and is generally passable in a sedan. We didn't start until 1;30 or 2pm and that was perfect because we could walk mostly in the shade, shade all the way back. For more details, review our Privacy Policy. Write a few inspiring words in the summit register, and enjoy the views. We share a new Movement Postcard and blog post every Thursday. Especially in the crevices the rocks that hikers use for gripping. In some places, multiple paths emerge from one point on the trail, and it is unclear which one to take. Do you have questions about family travel or traveling with teens? We hiked Mosaic Canyon Trail from 4-6pm on a Saturday afternoon. we enjoyed the hike very much. obstacles werent difficult. We spent the morning exploring Badwater Basin, Devils Golf Course, and Artists Palette on Artists Drive. But we did find moments of quiet and solace among the beautiful marble canyons. Loved this! From a distance, it looks like the trail ends. What are the hiking options and how long do they take ? Hiking the Mosaic Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park The trail narrows and widens numerous times and there are enough obstacles to keep you interested until you reach the end. You return to the parking lot the way you came. Mosaic Canyon is a fun hike to do in Death Valley. The neat features of this canyon make it worth it. After a 2.3 mile drive on a rough gravel road you will reach the trailhead for Mosaic Canyon. Moderate. But absolutely gorgeous. A don't miss in Death Valley. Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), An Easy Guide to Hiking Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley, Badwater Basin, Devils Golf Course, and Artists Palette on Artists Drive, 5 Tips for Hiking Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley, Five Things To See in Death Valley in One Day. Great view of the north valley as you walk back out of the canyon. fun to slide down some of the slick parts. In general, visiting Death Valley National Park between November through March for cooler temperatures is your best bet. The canyon is shaded in the early hours of the day and later in the day, but if you hike Mosaic Canyon around the middle of the day, wear a sun hat for protection. guests discover new landscapes, ecosystems, knowledge and ways to Mosaic Canyon is a fun hike to do in Death Valley. Parking: A large gravel parking area. Through their knowledge, stories, and personal passion, guides can bring a place to life in a way thats much more difficult to do on your own. You could easily go faster if you weren't an old fart like us. The walls of smoothly polished marble immediately come together forming a short, stunning, tortuous narrows. Please personalize this list, adding to it what you see fit. The Mosaic Canyon Trail is a great way to get you day started hiking in Death Valley National Park. Even with a 20 minute hike it was well worth it. The narrows are beautiful. California Desert Road Trip: An Epic Adventure for the Cooler Months! Ask us in the comments below! Located just west of Stovepipe Wells Village off CA-190, the trailhead for this hike is at the end of an unpaved access road typically passable by sedans. Excellent, dry all the way through, gorgeous. Hike Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley National Park! MOSAIC CANYON is located near the village of STOVEPIPE WELLS. Smaller kids may need the occasional boost to get up and over these small obstacles. Thank you for the beautiful pics. Death Valley Mosaic Canyon Trail Information | Hiking Trails Guide A fun challenge the kids loved, and beautiful terrain. The curving polished marble walls of the narrow canyon are smooth and shiny, and it even looks and feels like the tile you might see in your house. The 2+ miles coming up to the canyon is very bumpy but passable by car at a slow pace. Flash floods can occur in Mosaic Canyon and other canyon hikes in Death Valley when it rains. Luckily, Buddy and Sal caught them. Visiting Death Valley during cooler months means that it is less likely that you will experience high heat during your hikes. Here, hikers are greeted almost immediately by slick, winding narrows. Cant wait to visit one day! We only recommend products that we have used ourselves. When we visited, other hikers had left stone arrows pointing to the opening. Location: The 2.3 mile (3.7km) unpaved Mosaic Canyon Road is located in Stovepipe Wells Village just across from Stovepipe Wells Campground. For a list of must-have experiences, read our article Best Things to Do in Death Valley National Park. A perch atop the tallest dune, at over 200 feet high, is a sublime place to watch the ember glow of daylight fade. We especially loved the arrows made of rocks. It was warm at times, but overall, a great temperature for a hike! Periodic flash floods continue to bring down sand, gravel, and rock from the surrounding hills. The road is accessible by most vehicles. Trail Type: Out and backroute Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Other times, it appears as if the trail disappears completely. ), and these narrows have been polished smooth by the scouring of debris-laden flood water. We are Dhara and Kishore. I love that you are making these wonderful memories with your family and sharing it with us. dialed-in logistics all serve a common goal: to create unforgettable We hiked 20 minutes in and then returned. Little hot (102). Her renowned business systems and automations allow her business to thrive while she travels with her husband of 21 years and two teenagers, squeezes in daily workouts, tries new recipes, embarks on ambitious craft projects, speaks at events, facilitates workshops, and leads online courses. The trail opens up for a ways then reaches the first obstacle at just over a mile. Many people stop at the boulder jam approximately 1.3 miles (2 km) up the canyon, but it is possible to continue past this obstacle and continue through more narrows and open canyon, until the way is ultimately blocked by an impassable 25 ft (7.6 m) dryfall. DEATH VALLEY ITINERARY: Learn how to spend 2 days in Death Valley, which can be done as a road trip from Las Vegas. Read all of our articles in our California Travel Guide and our United States Travel Guide. The arrows appear at the first marble boulders that you need to climb to continue the trail. Mosaic Canyon is the drainage for the northern lank of Tucki Mountain and channels water from a 4.3 square-milearea. The light had changed since we began our hike, so the canyon walls looked different and gorgeous traveling in the opposite direction plus, that meant we got to go through the polished marble canyon once more! The entire two mile out and back Mosaic Canyon Trail is absolutely incredible. WOW! The Mosaic Canyon trail in Death Valley National Park is a popular hike up a narrow, polished marble-walled canyon that requires some scrambling of rock walls. But, if you look down, you will find your solution. Route: The route follows the canyon through several narrows and involves some scrambling. The full four mile hike is moderate to difficult depending on your fitness level and will take 2.5-3 hours round trip. You hit the narrow part pretty quickly. Climbing down the marble rocks on the return journey is also tricky. If you enter the park from 190 west entrance this canyon entrance is very close to, Route 190, Death Valley National Park, CA 92328, Historic Sites Points of Interest & Landmarks, This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Simple things like packing out your trash, obeying national park rules, and respecting the peace and quiet of our national park trails is a great start. In general, there is about a 30-degree Fahrenheit difference in daytime and overnight temperatures in Death Valley. We strongly recommend abiding by all Leave No Trace ethics guidelines and practices so that our national parks and public lands are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations and for the people and animals who call these places home. We visited the park in the middle of March. It ended up being one of my favorite hikes in Death Valley. Cute surprise at the end! Hike the Bluff Trail in Montana de Oro State ParkHiking Hidden Valley Nature Trail in Joshua Tree National ParkHike the Barker Dam Nature Trail in Joshua TreeBird Island Trail in Point Lobos State ReserveThe Best Hiking Trails in Point Lobos State ParkMoonstone Beach Boardwalk in Cambria, California. Some travelers may find the upper 80s quite warm. Round Trip Time:2.5-3 hours The marble is so smooth and finished that youll find it hard to believe they are the work of nature alone! Along the way, you may notice the mosaic-like breccia for which the canyon is named. If you enjoy photography, you will find the light much less harsh early and late in the day. Death Valley is still on our list, and its great to learn more about some of the hikes before we go! After scrambling up the first dryfall, you will climb more rocks and boulders. Mosaic Canyon is the drainage for the northern lank of Tucki Mountain and channels water from a 4.3 square-milearea. Required fields are marked *. A light layer for sun protection when the UV rays are at their strongest is also a good choice. There is a decent sized parking area but the road out is not paved and the drive is bumpy. If you are new to hiking or are curious about what you should bring on a hike, check out our Hiking Gear Guide. Thanks so much! The road is typically passable in a sedan. What a beautiful place! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated with new posts & special offers. Once you enter the canyon, in a short time the walls close in on you and you find yourself walking through a beautiful narrow slot lined on both sides by Noonday Dolomite walls honed to a smooth marble finish. Wow you brought back memories. Learn about the origins, mission and people of Wildland, Americas #1 source for Unforgettable Hiking Vacations! I really need to go back soon. Walk the path up the slope to pick up the trail past the dryfall. This tends to be one of the more popular hikes in Death Valley, so be prepared to share the trail with other hikers. A sweeping panorama reveals Death Valley stretching east and north, Telescope and Rogers peaks towering to the south, and the mighty Sierra Nevada to the west. The hike begins like many others, in a gravelly, barren wash typical of Death Valleys bone-dry landscape. The scrambling was fun. Mosaic Canyon is the site of frequent flash floods (do not enter if there is a chance of rain! Still a nice hike. We took our time, took photos, dawdled and made it in and out in 3 hours. The walls of smoothly polished marble immediately come together forming a short, stunning, tortuous narrows. From here an easy 1/4 mile walk leads into the canyon narrows, where the surrounding rock walls are composed of smooth, water-polished marble. The basics:Sunscreen, awater bottle, ahat, and a simple first aid kit in your hiking backpack. Hiking the Mosaic Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park Then desert heats up averaging in the 100s Fahrenheit/40s Celsius and above from May through September. Darwin Falls is an unbelievably beautiful and welcome anomaly in Death Valley National Park. Beautiful canyon, we're in our 60's and we made it to the end even though there was some tricky scrambling - er - tricky, steep, slide on your butt a tad on the way back, look for alternate potentially easier ways. certainly doable and FUN! Mosaic Canyon | Visit California You see most of this trail in the first half mile if youre short on time. more, #7 of 64 things to do in Death Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour, Tickets to Nature Health Farms Petting Zoo, Antique Store & Hemp Farm in Pahrump. Mosaic Canyon narrows and widens several times throughout the hike so the views are always changing. Our goal is for people to be inspired, and I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising and in following the rules of the Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement. Water and a hat are must haves. Be careful climbing up and down the marble dryfalls and boulders. It is best to be prepared and bring layers. Short too. An unpaved road called Mosaic Canyon Road leads uphill from the main road through the park (California Highway 190) to the parking lot for Mosaic Canyon. Ring of Kerry One Day Road Trip: The Ultimate Adventure! And instead took a steep dead end trail up the side of the canyon. We hope to inspire you to have your own adventure whether it is a weekend getaway or cross-country road trip! Welcome to our family travel blog! Graded dirt road. Beautiful photos and appreciate the detailed descriptions! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. One can walk from Stovepipe Wells to the trailhead at Mosaic Canyon or one can drive to the trailhead on the 2-mile dusty road. There are no official trails in the dunes, so explore to your hearts content. Subsequent uplift and erosion have since re-exposed these metamorphic rocks. Lots of wash out since last time I was here but still beautiful. Also, regardless of when you visit, check the weather. Highly recommend. Featuring fascinating narrows made of smooth marble walls that alternate with the canyon's namesake rock formation, mosaic "breccia", the canyon is one of the park's most scenic and busiest attractions. Mosaic Canyon Trail is classified as moderate to difficult. Death Valley National Park charges a fee to enter. Planning to hike Mosaic Canyon Trail on your visit to Death Valley National Park? If you chose to hike to the end of Mosaic Canyon Trail, plan for slippery rocks. Buses and large RVs not recommended. Standing in the narrow canyon and climbing up, over, and around the rocks was an amazing experience. We live in the Sonoran Desert and enjoy warm dry climates. Mosaic Canyon is one of the scenic highlights of Death Valley, and its marbled narrows are navigable for all ages. There is just enough rock scrambling and navigating through obstacles to keep things interesting. The Golden State is a world-renowned travel destination, and our articles will hopefully inspire you to explore it in depth. Hi! Mosaic Canyon is a perfect hike for families and seasoned desert hikers alike. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Mosaic Canyon One of many ravines on the north side of Tucki Mountain, containing several sections of shallow but pretty narrows through marble-type rock, plus dryfalls and chokestones Length: 1.8 miles, to the higher dryfall Elevation change: 1000 feet Difficulty: Moderate Type: One way,off trail Usage: Medium, in the lower section We started out at 8 am and finished in 2.5 hours. Through this blog, we hope to inspire you to roadtrip the beautiful state of California in search of unforgettable travel experiences. Food, adventures, & musings on juggling a business, loving a family, living inspired, and embracing imperfection, Published By Jennifer Bourn on December 6, 2017. We had downloaded the All Trails map in advance, which was helpful to navigate one section that had a change in trail due to some rock blocking the trail. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Plus, you will encounter fewer people on the trail at those times. Bring water. Mosaic Canyon is a beautiful 2-mile one way hike starting near Stovepipe Wells. Mosaic Canyon Trail is a 4-mile round trip out and back trail rated moderate to difficult by the National Park Service.