Desolation Canyon is a short, trail-less walk up a narrow canyon of colored badlands off Badwater Road, a few miles south of CA-190 in Death Valley. It offers the eroded mudstone scenery of nearby Golden Canyon with a fraction of the crowds.
Details
- Type
- Point of Interest
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Last verified: 6/13/2026
Overview
The canyon cuts through the same soft, banded sediments that form the badlands around Zabriskie Point, with yellows, browns, and reds layered in the walls. There is no marked trail. You follow the wash up the canyon and work past a few small dryfalls; most people walk in a mile or two and turn back.
Getting There
An unpaved access road turns off Badwater Road and ends at a small parking area. It is usually passable to standard cars, but check conditions, since the wash floods and ruts after rain. From the lot, head up the obvious main drainage.
Know Before You Go
There is no shade, water, or cell service, and the route-finding is on you, so come prepared and skip it in summer midday heat. Flash floods are a real risk in storms; do not enter if rain is forecast. Stay in the wash to avoid scarring the soft slopes.