Alerts & Conditions

Alerts

 
 

Updated 9/18/2023 at 11:00 am PST

Death Valley Road Status

Open Roads (paved)
Closed Roads
Dirt Roads:
Many backcountry roads have areas of moderate to severe damage due to flooding. Some areas are impassable.
--- Hiking Trails
 
 
 

 
A Park Ranger truck parked at a large washout in a dirt road in a desert canyon.
Road conditions can change quickly, as seen in this image after a flood in Titus Canyon 12/2021.

NPS

Roads & Locations

All park roads are currently closed. Roads are being assessed for damage and are being cleared of debris.

Last year, roads were heavily impacted, damaged, or closed following record rainfall in August; the current storm broke last year's record. Although all paved roads were repaired from the 2022 flood damage, there is still a lot of work to be done in the backcountry and this latest storm caused significant additional damage.

PAVED ROADS

CLOSED:

  • State Route 190 (access to Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells)
  • Daylight Pass Rd, Beatty Cutoff Rd & Mud Canyon Rd
  • Dantes View Road
  • Badwater Road/CA 178 (access to Badwater Basin, Artists Drive, Devils Golfcourse, Natural Bridge, Golden Canyon)
  • North Highway (Scotty's Castle Rd) (access to Ubehebe Crater)
  • Wildrose Rd/Emigrant Canyony Rd (access to Wildrose Charcoal Kilns)
  • Bonnie Clare Road and Scotty’s Castle due to flood recovery work . Unlikely to open before late 2025.

California Department of Transportation: highway conditions

UNPAVED/BACKCOUNTRY ROADS

Note that road closures listed below apply to ALL vehicles, including motorcycles and bicycles. The roads were completely washed out in places and entry will cause tire tracks and braided roads in wilderness as users try to locate what was once the road. Thank you for your patience as we work to reopen these locations.

Only major roads are listed for reference below, but ALL backcountry roads are closed.

CLOSED:

  • Westside Road
  • Upper Wildrose Road (above the Charcoal Kilns)
  • Twenty Mule Team Canyon
  • Mustard Canyon
  • Keane Wonder Mine
  • Saline Valley Road - Signed closed by Inyo County.
  • Hunter Mountain - Signed closed by Inyo County.
  • Salt Creek
  • Titus Canyon Road - Flooding destroyed the road
  • Steel Pass - Extensive flood damage. No timeline for reopening.
  • Grotto Canyon
  • Cottonwood/Marble Canyons - Due to flood damage
  • Echo Canyon & Hole in the Wall
  • Lemoigne Canyon - Due to flood damage

ROADS OUTSIDE THE PARK

  • Inyo County: County road conditions
    • Death Valley - Big Pine Road - CLOSED
    • Trona Wildrose & Panamint Valley Road - CLOSED
  • Caltrans: California Department of Transportation highway conditions
  • Sierra Nevada Passes: CA120 (Tioga Pass), CA108 (Sonora Pass), CA4 (Ebbetts Pass), CA88 (Carson Pass)

  • Nevada: Nevada Department of Transportation highway conditions

Trails
  • Darwin Falls Trail- trail is washed out and no longer exists. Expect to hike through shallow water and scramble over rocks.
 

Campgrounds

CLOSED:

  • Sunset, Texas Spring and Stovepipe Wells Campgrounds - Seasonal closure due to heat
  • Furnace Creek, Emigrant, Wildrose, Mesquite Springs, Eureka Dunes Primitive, Thorndike Primitive, Mahogany Flat Primitive, Saline Valley Primitive and Homestake Primitive campgrounds are closed until further notice due to park closure and flood damage

Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions are in effect at Thorndike, Wildrose, and Mahogony Flats campgrounds from June 15 - September 15. No open flames are allowed, but controlled flame devices with shut off valves and gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel sources are allowed.

 

Visitor Centers

CLOSED:

  • Furnace Creek Visitor Center
  • Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station
 
Damaged pavement with brown streams of water washing down a canyon.
Weather Conditions

Check weather before your planned travel days, conditions can swiftly change in Death Valley.

Tire tracks scar a smooth desert playa, red circle with line through it on top
Stay on Roads with your Vehicle

Illegal driving off designated roads negatively impacts the landscape, ecosystem, view, and more.

 

Last updated: September 18, 2023

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

Phone:

760 786-3200

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