Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

I understand there are some fantastic trails in Death Valley.

I was curious is any of you have wheeled there before. If so please post your experience in this thread so that all may benefit. Please tell us when you were there and what trails you ran.

Here are some resources to help.


NPS - Death Valley Backcountry Roads-LIST.pdf

NPS - Death Valley Backcountry Roads-MAP

Which trails have you run and when were you there?

 

Those look like some cool expo trails. My friends and I are putting together a run for a few days through Death Valley for early next year.

 

I spent 4.5 days (Nov 21-25 2009) in Death Valley. I entered through Ballarat, Wingate Road to Goler Canyon. I camped in Goler Canyon. The next day I ran up through Mengel Pass. The pass was very bad and I had to spend 30 minutes rebuilding the trail. I went down the pass, but I don't know that I'd be able to make it back up. I hiked Striped Butte. Stayed the second night in Butte Valley atop an old mining site with commanding views of the road below.

The third day I wheeled into Death Valley and connected to West Side Road. I visited the "Queen of Sheba Mine", a very rough slow going road through a 3-mile alluvial fan.

Later that day I ran "Hole in the Wall" and I took the rabbit hole as far as it would go.

The fourth day I ran Titus Canyon, and what a pleasure that was. I highly recommend it, stunning, awesome views that just would not quit. I ran it quick 1:45 hours while even taking time to explore Leadfield (Ghost town).

I boogied up to Little Ubehebe crater for lunch before hitting Racetrack Road. Racetrack road was recently plowed, so you can jam in certain places. After some peaceful moments at the racetrack I took Lippincott Pass until I ran out of daylight. Lippincott Pass (Ubehebe Road) is nothing more than a shelf road cut into the side of the mountain and is destroyed after each heavy rainfall. It's very narrow and has one very rocky section. Passing is almost impossible.

Later that night, by chance I met another TW member. What are the odds? The next day, together, we ran the pass and Saline Valley road to the south to CA-190. Saline Valley road had two water crossings less than 12" deep. There was also a pass at Hunter Mountain.

All the places I wheeled are passable to a 4x4 stocker with a locker. I only used my locker twice. The first time in Goler Canyon to get up a dry waterfall and though Mengel Pass.

Death Valley is an incredible place to wheel and hike. It has more diversity to offer than most other desert parks combined.

GOLER CANYON, PANAMINT MOUNTAINS, DEATH VALLY NATIONAL PARK



MENGEL PASS, PANAMINT MOUNTAINS, DEATH VALLY NATIONAL PARK






STAYING WARM IN BUTTE VALLEY, DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK


THE RACETRACK, DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

LIPPINCOTT PASS TO/FROM SALINE VALLEY, DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

LIPPINCOTT PASS TO/FROM SALINE VALLEY, DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

 

Nice post^

 

looks fun, and cold...

 

i need to move

 

Thank you.

I should also tell you all about the R-2508 Complex

While exiting Saline Valley we were treated to our own private air show, which included one sonic-boom, courtesy of the U.S. Military.

The R-2508 Complex includes all the airspace and associated land presently used and managed by the three principal military activities in the Upper Mojave Desert region: Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

Use of these areas include bombing ranges, supersonic corridors, low altitude high speed maneuvers, radar intercept areas, and refueling areas.

 

awesome

 

Sweet post. Those jets are insane

 

Nice pics and posts. Looks like someone got some nevada pinstripes.
Where exactly are those aircraft pics taken? That is somewhere I need to go!

 

That reminds me of the hills have eyes. Sweet report and pics!!!

 

Thank you.

Thank you.

The first five pics were taken on Lippincott Pass road which Google maps calls Ubehebe road, CA, <--Click for map.

Pictures 6+7 were from Saline Valley road just after Hunter Mountain Pass where there is a magnificent Joshua Tree forest. Map #2

The last picture of the very low flying jet was taken while in Saline Valley Map #3

Saline Valley is one of the most remote places in California. Check out this link for good intel about Saline Valley

All of those map links show place markers and are very accurate to where the photos were taken.

Thank you. It's funny you should mention that. I try real hard not to think about that movie when its dark and I'm by myself and in places that resemble the landscape from that movie! You never know!

What's more, is that Death Valley is 40 miles away from the Nevada Nuclear test site If you follow that map link you will see huge craters in the Nevada desert, all of which are the result of Nuclear explosions from decades past.

 

Friggin sweet post.. nice pix +1

 

Just make sure to take plenty of water and stay on the marked roads during the summer. It's a deathtrap if you don't. I'm sure you've heard what happened there this summer with a woman and her son who wanted to go camping. They got lost following the GPS and got stuck. She lived, her son died.

 

That is excellent advice.

Death Valley is a place of extremes. And as you have pointed out it has a history of killing people who go there unprepared. For the record I would not wheel or hike anywhere in the park during summer months except to hike Telescope Peak (11,043') in the Panamint mountains.

I have invested in two 6.5 Gallon durable plastic water containers. One is reserved for the truck--radiators use water too . The other is for me, and on top of that I carry 5 gallons in assorted water bottles and jugs that I usually keep in the cab.

Because I do many solo expeditions there are two pieces of technology that I consider true life savors.

1. Rented Satellite phone.
2. Personal Locator Beacons.

Sat phones are cheap insurance (approximately $5-$8 a day) to call for help when you need it. A PLB may be used when all forms of self-rescue have failed and a genuine emergency is threatening life, limb, or eyesight.

 

Thank you for the links and info. Interesting that Area 51 is just to the Northeast of the nuclear test site. I've got the maps and california desert byways book. Hoping to make many trips to Death Valley in the future.

p.s.
Crom did you take extra fuel?
Did you do this solo?
Aside from the other TW peeps, did you find a lot of people out there and how did you stay warm at night, only using the small heater?

 

sickk, i will definitly be adding to these after my trip.

I remember going there on a family vacation when i was younger, and had a lot of fun, so hopefullythis one will be just as much.

 

Actually, I have to tell you it is not worth it. It will cost you!

10% of your income is the first price. Traffic. Put your hand out your window to touch your neighbor.

 

Reminds me a lot of the pictures on the Toyota site lol...

 

Too funny! Thanks for the pic. I don't recognize those mountains in Toyota site picture. I wonder where the photo was taken. I wonder if it's high desert, lots of green too, I'd say they're mesquite trees.

Edit: I looked at the gallery on Toyota's site. I think that pic may be from New Mexico or Arizona. There are pictures with cacti that grow out there and not California/Nevada.