Death Valley: Hiking Dunes, Canyons, and Badlands

Arrive in Death Valley

Arrive in Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) before 8:00 am. You may want to arrive a day early so you’re not pressed for time this morning. You will be picked up at 10:00 am at the Hampton Inn Las Vegas Strip South.

Leave Las Vegas and drive towards Death Valley. Stop along the way at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, where you’ll learn about this unique desert refuge’s life-sustaining springs and the endemic devil’s hole pupfish, the world’s rarest fish. Walk along the Crystal Springs boardwalk (less than 1 mile) to see the stunning azure waters bubbling out of the ground at 87 degrees. (Hiking: 1 mile)

Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Point of Rocks. Take an optional walk after lunch if you’d like.

Head to Rhyolite, a ghost town originally founded during a gold boom in 1904. The town grew to have a population of thousands, but by 1916 it was abandoned.

Head into the dunes on a two-mile hike in the sand to enjoy the waning rays of sunlight. (Hiking: 3 miles)

Enjoy a lively welcome dinner this evening at your hotel. Share stories and learn about why each woman in your trip is excited to explore more of Death Valley!

Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Stovepipe Wells Hotel

Stovepipe Wells

Continue your geological exploration of the area with a visit to the Titus Canyon narrows. Head out on a four-mile hike along a gravel road and marvel at the rock stratifications that were formed over millions of years. You might even see the elusive chuckwalla, a lizard with a unique defense mechanism – it can inflate itself in the cracks of rocks to deter predators. (Hiking: 4 miles)

Enjoy another picnic lunch before exploring the 600-foot-deep Ubehebe Crater, formed by a massive volcanic explosion that occurred when the molten rock hit shallow groundwater and turned the water to steam. Admire the view from one spot or join your guide for a hike along the rim for more views along the way. (Hiking: 2 miles)

Make your way back to your hotel, keeping a lookout for seasonal wildflower displays along the way. Enjoy dinner as a group this evening.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Stovepipe Wells Hotel

Stovepipe Wells to Furnace Creek

Check out of your hotel, lace up your boots, and head to the towering Panamint Range. If the weather cooperates, your starting point will be at 7,000 feet of elevation. Hike to the summit of Wildrose Peak (9,064’) where you’ll discover a view that is nothing short of stunning, displaying the varied landscape below. (If the weather doesn’t permit this hike, you’ll do a different hike with excellent views). Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way (Hiking: 8 miles, 2,500-foot elevation gain)

After your hike, check-in at your hotel. You’ll have some time to shower and change before a well-deserved dinner at the Last Kind Words Saloon.

You will have the opportunity to meet with a female park ranger who will share her experience working in the park. She’s happy to answer any questions you may have, so don’t be shy!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: The Ranch at Death Valley

Furnace Creek

Rise early to take in the sunrise from Zabriskie Point.The warm morning light will slowly illuminate the badlands and the Panamint Mountains. Head back to Furnace Creek for breakfast.

Head out on foot through the multi-hued walls of Golden Canyon towards the Red Cathedral rock formation. Continue beneath Zabriskie Point and down into the badlands region of the Park, passing Manly Beacon. This hike will take most of the day and will involve some scrambling using your hands and feet – it’s nothing that requires technical skill, just more points of balance! ! A picnic lunch will be provided today. (Hiking: 6 miles, 1,100- foot elevation gain/loss)

Take the afternoon to relax and perhaps check out the spring-fed pool at your hotel. Enjoy dinner on your own at your hotel, the adjacent upscale Inn, the local saloon, or simply order some takeout!

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: The Ranch at Death Valley

Furnace Creek

The first stop this morning is at Dante’s View which provides panoramic views including Telescope Peak, the highest point in the park. While at the lookout point, you will see the impact of millions of years of erosion that has formed the park’s famed alluvial fans. Enjoy a hike with amazing views (Hiking: up to 2 miles with 400 ft of elevation gain/loss).

Drive to Badwater to see the spring-fed Badwater Pool, home to unique plant and insect life as well as a hearty snail species. Take a walk on Badwater Basin, a saltwater flat at 282 feet below sea level.

This is the lowest place in North America and the 8th lowest spot on earth. The Panamint Range provides a dramatic backdrop, rising above 11,000’ to the west. (Hiking: 2 miles)

Enjoy lunch on your own and perhaps relax by the pool this afternoon.

Enjoy one last Death Valley sunset at the spectacular Artist’s Palette, a pastel collection of volcanic ash in the badlands. The warm fading light of day brings out the green, pink, and purple hues of the minerals.

Have a farewell dinner with your new AdventureWomen friends at the elegant Inn. Reminisce over all the memories you have made and celebrate the end of an amazing journey through this truly spectacular area.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: The Ranch at Death Valley

Depart Death Valley

On your way from Death Valley back to Las Vegas, stop at Death Valley Junction, the site of the famous Amargosa Opera House. Marta Becket stopped here while touring the west and in the span of a few hours decided to move from New York and take over the dilapidated theater to perform a one-woman show. Since she was never guaranteed an audience in such a remote location, she took several years to paint an eclectic group of spectators on the walls of the theater. Check out the award-winning documentary Amargosa to learn more about this unusual story.

Make a second stop at the China Ranch date farm to enjoy a picnic lunch and enjoy a date milkshake.

You’ll arrive in Las Vegas and be dropped off at the Hampton Inn Las Vegas Strip South about 3:00 pm.

Depart from Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) after 6:00 pm or plan to extend your trip a day or two to continue exploring.

 Breakfast, Lunch

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.