Titus Canyon, Death Valley

Devote your second full day in Death Valley to the northern half of the park. If you’re driving in from Beatty, take a right on the road that leads north to Ubehebe Crater. There aren’t quite as many marked attractions on this stretch of road as on Badwater Road, but there are still a few must-see attractions you shouldn’t miss. The first is Titus Canyon.

Titus Canyon - Death Valley National Park

Titus Canyon gives you another chance to hike between high rock walls that stretch skyward on both sides of a narrow path.

If you’re traveling in a 4wd, high clearance vehicle, you can drive through Titus Canyon. The road is one way, though, and the trailhead is at the exit. So, to enter the canyon, you’ll need to drive towards Beatty and watch for the Titus Canyon turnoff. Also, you might want to check with the park ahead of time, to make sure the road is open. During the heavy rains of 2004 the road was damaged by flood waters, and during my visit in April, 2005, it was only open to foot traffic. UPDATE: In 2016, I drove through Titus Canyon. It’s awesome. Check it out here.

Titus Canyon - Death Valley National Park

Near the trailhead, you’ll also find an alternate trail that, instead of leading into the canyon, takes you north along the edge of the Grapevine Mountains. If Titus didn’t satisfy your hankering for hiking, this trail will take you to the next canyon, Fall Canyon. As the name suggests, you can expect to see some dry waterfalls there.

Titus Canyon - Death Valley National Park

I took a short side path up to the top of a small hill, just to check out the view. High winds swirling around the edge of the nearby mountains made the hike less than enjoyable, so I didn’t go any farther.

Stovepipe Wells Sand Dunes, Death Valley

Scotty’s Castle, Death Valley

Note: This trip was first published in 2005. I spent much more time in Death Valley during the Superbloom of 2016.

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