October 31, 2025.
A little over a month before our planned trip to Death Valley National Park, Tropical storm Mario dumped rain in the park and caused quite a bit of storm damage. Then, the government shut down. So when we arrived in late October, nearly half the park roads were still closed and it was unclear when even the government would be fully open again. What a mess, and a great way to begin our visit.
Undeterred, I went to the ranger station to get an up-to-the-minute report of where I could/couldn’t go and what mode of transportation was legal and safe. I learned that though the Badwater Road was closed to cars, it was open to bikes and pedestrians for the first 17 miles. The Golden Canyon Trailhead was just 2 miles down that road, so I left the visitor’s center, hopped on my bike and rode down there.
Bike ride
It was early in the day, but already pretty hot. I booked it from the Visitor Center to the closed gate at the north end of Badwater Road. This is where it would start to get fun.
Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet below sea level. Since I was headed in that direction, I knew there was nowhere to go but down. I coasted the wide, empty, paved Badwater Road for two miles to the trailhead. I couldn’t help but have a big smile on my face as I cut through the hot, desert air. I hopped off my bike a couple times to admire the tenacious plants somehow making a living in this natural oven. I especially admired the cheery yellow flowers I saw on the side of the road. Life will find a way, indeed.
Golden Canyon
Despite the breezy downhill ride, I was pretty hot when I got to the trailhead at 11:30 am. I made note of the “do not start a hike after 10 am” sign, which is likely aimed at the summer hikers, and quickly found a shady spot to sit.
Here, I weighed my options. I could do the out-and-back to the amphitheater below Red Cathedral or I could make a loop, connecting the trail with Gower Gulch. The first option kept me in a canyon and the second ensured I’d be out in the blazing sun during the hottest part of the day.
But it was a loop. You know what I did.
I looked at the stats on the sign: 4.3 miles, 530′ elevation gain. If I took my time and savored many breaks, this was totally doable. I know my body in the heat: it hates it. In order to enjoy the loop, I committed to constantly searching out shade, drinking plenty of water, wearing a hat and sunscreen. I’d turn back if it was absolutely unbearable. It was hard to believe I had to take such measures in late fall!
After a nice snack, I slowly plodded up Golden Canyon. It was…fine. To be fair, I’ve done more than my fair share of canyon hikes. If you’ve never seen a canyon before, this place is probably incredible. Whether it was the heat or my experience or general apathy I just could not get excited about this hike. I decided to take the spur trail up to the amphitheater before completing the rest of the loop. This added about a mile and 300′ of elevation to the hike.
However, I enjoyed this stretch of the canyon. It got steeper, narrower and more interesting. At the very end there was a little bit of scrambling to get into the tall, cool, shady overhang. I used the beautiful shady backdrop as a place for an extended rest break. While there, I noticed some cool looking hills off to the side. In an effort to get a better view, I climbed even higher on a rugged use path. Though it brought me to a dead end above a vertical drop, I got the view I was looking for!
Gower Gulch
I returned to the loop and turned onto the connecting trail to Gower Gulch. This was the steepest and most sun-exposed section of the entire loop. It was brutal. In a desperate hunt for shade I crouched down under a small rock formation that cast a somewhat body-sized shadow. I understood how so many people can get in trouble on this route. In a very brief search for incidents on the Golden Canyon trail, I found nine reports for Search and Rescue, half of them fatalities. I’m sure there have been many more.
Imagine my joy when I crested the hill and started hiking down into Gower Gulch! This half of the hike made the whole adventure worth it. The canyon was much more interesting, with different colors, textures, rock features and plants. It snaked this way and that across the landscape, providing at least a little shade no matter where the sun was. Near the end of this stretch, the canyon became a bit more scrambly and fun.
Once I saw the exit leading towards the mile of completely exposed trail, I picked a spot beneath an overhang where I could paint. I was joined by a couple of ravens, gurgling, squawking and diving overhead.
It was so hard to leave that perfect spot. I packed up my things, took a big swig of water and walked out of the canyon. From there, I took a right and followed a trail that bobbed up and down as it crossed alluvial fans perpendicular to the hills. I moved slowly, taking in the massive landscape. The sun tried its best to kill me, but I kept up on my hydration and took lots of micro-breaks.
Once I got back to the trailhead, I knew I had to ride uphill back to the gate. That fun ride I did this morning? Now I had to do the opposite. But, Aaron planned to meet me at the gate so at least I didn’t have to ride all the way back to camp.
All in all, I saw just a handful of people all day. Typically this hike is overflowing with visitors. Although the first half of the hike was (to me) unimpressive, I really enjoyed the last half. Plus, I got to ride down an empty Badwater Road, which must be a pretty uncommon opportunity. I’m excited to see what else we’ll get to do in Death Valley.
Important tips
The temperatures on this visit maybe got to 90 degrees on this day. For most of the year, high temperatures soar well above 100. The sign that says start your hike before 10 am? Follow that recommendation if you’re visiting during the hotter months. Or, better yet, plan your visit for the cooler months. Winter here feels like summer in most other places.
You can prevent heat-related illness by:
- Choosing to hike in the coolest parts of the day
- Drinking plenty of water and carrying more than you think you’ll need
- Wearing sun hats, sun shirts and loose clothing
- Traveling at a slower pace and taking frequent rest breaks, especially when there’s shade
- Turning back if you’re feeling under-prepared or showing early signs of heat-related illness
- Keeping an eye on your hiking partners! One of the early signs of heat illness is impaired cognitive function; they may not be able to make good decisions once they’ve gotten too hot.
Know that heat illness can come on RAPIDLY and it does not matter if you’re in good shape, young, healthy, etc. Heat illness kills all types. Learn more about heat-related illness and how it impacts hikers here. You can hike safely in hot climates, but it’s important to be educated on the risks and to make good decisions before and during your hike. Live to hike another day!