Emigrant Canyon Road will be temporarily closed for repair work to minimize future flood damage. No access to: Wildrose Charcoal Kilns, campgrounds (Wildrose, Thorndike and Mahogany Flat), trails (Wildrose and Telescope Peak) or dirt sideroads. More
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Federal Highway Administration engineers inspecting the damage to Emigrant Canyon Road after Hurricane Hilary.
DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – Death Valley National Park’s Emigrant Canyon Road will close starting January 6 for road repairs. There will be no road access to Wildrose until early March 2025.
“This construction includes armoring to protect the road from flash floods. Climate change is increasing the frequency of severe floods,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “Unfortunately, we need to close the road now so the work can happen.”
The remnants of Hurricane Hilary caused severe flash flooding in August 2023. Flooding extensively damaged Emigrant Canyon Road, leaving drop-offs up to six feet deep where pavement used to be.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hired a contractor to fill in missing road segments with aggregate and cold patch asphalt. This allowed the Emigrant Canyon Road to temporarily reopen in spring 2024.
Starting January 6, a second FHWA contract will bury concrete barriers and rock-filled gabions in the road shoulders. These structures will protect the most vulnerable sections of the road from future flash floods.
Emigrant Canyon Road will be closed during construction. Since Lower Wildrose Road is also closed due to flood damage, this will mean there is no road access to Wildrose Campground, Wildrose Charcoal Kilns, Wildrose Peak Trail, Thorndike Campground, Mahogany Flat Campground, or Telescope Peak Trail until early March 2025.