Rainbow Canyon - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

A beautiful waterfall of greenery located on the west edge of the Death Valley desert.The falls are located in a small, narrow valley near Panamint Valley. Access to the trail to Darwin Falls is a dirt road located on the south side of State Route 190, approximately .25 miles west of Panamint Springs. Darwin Falls and Creek are fed by the Darwin Wash, which is in turn fed by the volcanic tableland of the Darwin Bench between the Inyo Mountains and the Argus Range.

The Panamint Valley is a north-south, 65 mile long and 10 mile wide basin formed between the Argus and Slate ranges along the west, and the Panamint Range on the eastern side. The valley is approximately 65 miles in length, and is more than 10 miles wide in the Hall Canyon area.

The Panamint Dunes are described as the least visited and most isolated series of sand dunes in Death Valley National Park. Getting to the dunes requires a little work, but your efforts are likely to be paid off by having the breathtaking area entirely to yourself! With epic views and ever-elusive solitude, backpacking to the the Panamint Sand Dunes is truly an unforgettable experience.

The Racetrack is a place of stunning beauty and mystery. The Racetrack is a playa--a dry lakebed--best known for its strange moving rocks. It was nestled in a remote valley between the Cottonwood and Last Chance Ranges. Racetrack is dry for almost the entire year and has no vegetation. When dry, its surface is covered with small but firm hexagonal mud crack polygons. It is a unique attraction of Death Valley National Park that not many park visitors get to see.

Mosaic Canyon is a 4 mile hike in Death Valley with short sections of rock scrambling.The trailhead begins at the end of Mosaic Canyon Road, a 2.3 mile dirt road that begins just across the street from Stovepipe Wells Campground. The road is usually passable for most passenger cars, but you may want to check with the rangers if there’s been rain recently. Although there are some nice, shady sections of the trail here.

Wildrose Peak is located in the Panamint Range which serves as the western border to Death Valley National Park. Wildrose Peak is an excellent peak to climb in the summer when the heat of the valley is extreme.The 9,064-foot peak is about seven miles north of Telescope Peak, the highest point in the park at 11,049 feet. Wildrose sports an expansive view of the Panamint Mountains, Badwater Basin, and the surrounding desert landscape.