Hikes in California

Off Black Canyon Road in Mojave National Preserve, the Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Trail is a must see! The namesake Ringbolts serve as hand holds and steps, granting passage through a couple steep and narrow sections on this 1.5-mile loop (or 0.5-mile out and back hike for those preferring to repeat the most exciting stretch of the hike). The Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Trail delivers a short fun hiking experience for park visitors. ...Read more.

Being a preserve, Mojave National Preserve lacks a few of the facilities you would find in Joshua Tree or Death Valley, but this absence creates the opportunity for a more intimate visit with the desert. For the traditionalists (those who like camping near a bathroom), Mojave National Preserve has a couple standard campgrounds. For more adventurous campers, Mojave offers a unique experience akin to wilderness car camping. ...Read more.

The Kelso Dunes cover 45 square miles and rise 650 feet above the desert floor. What do you do with such a big pile of sand? Climb it! Even if you have hiked other dunes before, Kelso will be an interesting experience. The 3-mile round trip hike to the top features fantastic views of the surrounding dunes and peaks in Mojave National Preserve. The start of Kelso Dunes Trail A concentrated trail leaves from the parking area, but dissolves away the farther you go. ...Read more.

Amboy Crater is nestled halfway between Barstow and Needles, just off historic Route 66. It is located near, but not within, Mojave National Preserve. A visit to Amboy Crater will definitely take you back in time. Ten thousand years ago, this cinder cone volcano erupted, transforming the surrounding landscape. A 3-mile round trip trail leads up and into the crater, connecting to a path around the rim that provides startling views. ...Read more.

Golden Canyon - Gower Gulch Loop visits some of the most stunning landscapes in Death Valley National Park. The 4-mile hike begins with a one-mile trek up Golden Canyon. Numbered markers along the way make the canyon easy to follow. These markers correspond with an interpretive trail guide that tells the geological history of the land. The guide is available for purchase at the trailhead and visitor centers, but no guide is required to realize the beauty of Golden Canyon. ...Read more.

Badlands Loop offers a great immersion into the terrain beneath Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. This 2.5-mile hike is all badlands. Anyone who hiked the Golden Canyon - Gower Gulch Loop and enjoyed the middle section of the trek will love the Badlands Loop. The trail starts down an obvious gully just north of the Zabriskie Point parking lot. ...Read more.

Zabriskie Point offers a stunning panorama of the badlands near Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. The overlook stands at the upper east end of a badlands terrain full of impressive canyons and gulches. A short walk up a paved hill is all that is required to take advantage of this amazing vantage point. The hard drought-plagued sun-baked slopes around Zabriskie Point support almost no vegetation and possess a start beauty. ...Read more.

Just up the road from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park is a canyon that can be experienced right from the driver's seat. This 2.8-mile one-way dirt road is well maintained and passable in any car or truck. The road leads into and across a picturesque Death Valley landscape of canyons and badlands. The scenery is impressive, plus the kids in the backseat can play a game of who-can-spot-the-most-borax-mine-shafts along the way. ...Read more.

Nine campgrounds are open to visitors within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park. Texas Spring Campground near Furnace Creek is centrally located and one of the nicer campgrounds in Death Valley, with bushes and short trees providing shade. Some of the other campgrounds are not California's most impressive, offering little more than open gravel landscapes for setting up tents. ...Read more.

Artist's Drive crosses a sloping mountainside composed of vibrant soil colored by rich metals. The drive passes an area dubbed the Artist's Palette, which is among the unique landmarks in Death Valley National Park that must be seen to believe. Artist's Drive is a one-way road traveling from south to north. For those coming from Badwater Basin, this is an ideal side trek en route to Furnace Creek. ...Read more.