20 Attractions to Explore Near Rainbow Canyon

Activities Around

Vector image of nearby attractions

Attractions & Activities Near You

Checkout attractions and activities near your current location

All attractions near Rainbow Canyon

Darwin Falls

Darwin Falls

6.74km from Rainbow Canyon

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.

Panamint Valley

Panamint Valley

7.43km from Rainbow Canyon

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.

Panamint Dunes

Panamint Dunes

10.16km from Rainbow Canyon

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.

Racetrack Playa

Racetrack Playa

34.71km from Rainbow Canyon

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 Trail

Mosaic Canyon Trail

37.92km from Rainbow Canyon

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

Wildrose Peak

38.44km from Rainbow Canyon

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.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

39.51km from Rainbow Canyon

Death Valley National Park, the hottest and driest national park in the United States, located in Death Valley, largely in southwestern California, though a small portion extends into Nevada’s Bullfrog Hills. The park is home to many species of plants and animals that have adapted to this harsh desert environment including creosote bush, Joshua tree, bighorn sheep, coyote, and the endangered Death Valley pupfish, a survivor from much wetter times.

Aguereberry Point

Aguereberry Point

39.62km from Rainbow Canyon

Aguereberry Point is a 6,300 foot peak, similar to Dantes View on the far side, 20 miles away in a direct line but 77 miles by road. Because of its westerly setting, this place is one of the best locations to photograph the valley in afternoon and around sunset. The promontory is actually 1,000 feet higher than the more famous Dante’s View vista point and provides a stunning 360 degree view of Death Valley.

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

39.72km from Rainbow Canyon

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns would probably be one of the most visited attractions in Death Valley if they were not in such a remote location.The kilns were built 7 miles out on Wildrose Rd which is mostly paved with a well maintained gravel stretch at the end of this adventurous trip. These kilns produced charcoal for the Modock Mine smelter about 20 miles to the west.The kilns closed after only three years of use. This may be the best-preserved examples of charcoal kilns in the West.

Telescope Peak

Telescope Peak

42.54km from Rainbow Canyon

Telescope Peak is the highest point within Death Valley National Park. From atop this desert mountain one can see for over one hundred miles in many directions, including west to Mount Whitney, and east to Charleston Peak. It is also notable for having one of the greatest vertical rises above local terrain of any mountain in the contiguous United States. Hiking Telescope Peak by the normal route involves a 14 miles round trip hike.

Owens Lake

Owens Lake

42.61km from Rainbow Canyon

Owens Lake is a dry lake at the terminus of the Owens River just west of Death Valley and on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. It is the largest single source of dust pollution in the United States. The lake was the epicenter of a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that occurred on June 24, 2020.The lake is currently a large salt flat whose surface is made of a mixture of clay, sand, and a variety of minerals including halite, burkeite, mirabilite, thenardite, and trona.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

43.01km from Rainbow Canyon

Mountain-fringed sand dunes reaching 100 ft. A prime spot for sand-boarding.

Saline Valley

Saline Valley

46.69km from Rainbow Canyon

Saline Valley is a large, deep, and arid graben, about 27 miles in length, in the northern Mojave Desert of California, a narrow, northwest–southeast-trending tectonic sink defined by fault-block mountains. The west end of the lake supports a salt marsh, which contains a variety of plant and animal life. The marsh is fed by a perennial stream from Hunter Canyon. North of the lake is a large area of low and sweeping sand dunes.

Salt Creek Interpretive Trail

Salt Creek Interpretive Trail

50.74km from Rainbow Canyon

This short hike along Salt Creek takes hikers through one of the more unique areas of Death Valley National Park. With the surprising presence of water in the midst of the salt flats, this area looks positively lush compared to the rest of the basin.This is a very popular area for hiking, walking, and other nature trips, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.

Eastern Sierra Visitor Center

Eastern Sierra Visitor Center

55.45km from Rainbow Canyon

This unique facility is operated by federal, state and local governmental agencies. It provides a regional orientation and information program to visitors from around the globe traveling to the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and Northern Mojave Desert. A wealth of world-class visitor destinations, are ready and waiting for exploration. At this location, one can view the highest peak in the “lower 48 states” - Mt Whitney - or plan a trip to the largest national park in the “lower 48 states.

Harmony Borax Works

Harmony Borax Works

56.22km from Rainbow Canyon

An abandoned borax mine. They became famous through the use of large twenty-mule teams and double wagons which hauled borax through the long overland route to the closest railroad in Mojave, California.

Devils Golf Course

Devils Golf Course

56.66km from Rainbow Canyon

Devils Golf Course is a scenic viewpoint in Inyo County. It is a large salt pan on the floor of the Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert, within the Death Valley National Park in eastern California. Although its exact boundaries are poorly defined, it extends from the vicinity of the Ashford Mill site to the Salt Creek Hills, covering a distance of about 40 miles.

Museum of Western Film History

Museum of Western Film History

56.95km from Rainbow Canyon

The Museum of Western Film History collects, preserves and exhibits a broad and diverse collection of western film memorabilia. The museums honors the men and women of the silver screen who interpret the lives of the American Cowboy. The museum thus teaches us how to see both time and space in new ways — ways that blend the past, the present, and the future through tangible objects and material geographies.

Golden Canyon Trailhead

Golden Canyon Trailhead

57.8km from Rainbow Canyon

Golden Canyon Trailhead is a locality in Inyo County. Golden Canyon Trailhead is situated west of Red Cathedral Junction, and west of Zabriskie Point Junction.This route features tons of geologic and human history – you’ll pass through layers of strata defining the different ages of Death Valley’s past, see canyons painted in dozens of different colors, and pass old mining shafts and claims from the area’s industrial heyday.

Golden Canyon Trail

Golden Canyon Trail

57.84km from Rainbow Canyon

The Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park is probably the most famous hike in the park. It is easily accessible and you can enjoy the view from manly Beacon and explore the golden mudstone hills . It is one of the iconic location for trekkers and also there are so many things to expore.

Map of attractions near Rainbow Canyon

Know more about Rainbow Canyon

Rainbow Canyon

Rainbow Canyon

Rainbow Canyon, California, USA

Rainbow Canyon is a valley in Inyo County and has an elevation of 1854 feet. It is commonly used by the United States Air Force and Navy for fighter jet training and is frequented by photographers who, from the canyon rim, are able to photograph jets flying beneath them.