Death Valley Wildflowers and Desert Skills Backpacking Trip

Interested in learning desert backpacking skills in a supportive environment? Are you drawn to the vast, endless landscape of the desert? Join us on a 4 day/ 3 night backpacking adventure in a unique and amazing area of Death Valley National Park. We will be there during the middle of the spring flower bloom. We will travel through desert chapparal, cottonwood filled valleys and steep narrow canyons. Be prepared to hike between 6-8 miles per day in sandy and rocky terrain. Our guide will show you wildflowers blooming at low to mid elevation and teach responsible desert travel skills along the way.

You will need to provide your own backpacking gear, though some items may be available to rent at an additional fee. A detailed gear list and itinerary will be provided prior to the trip date. In addition, we will host a virtual meeting to go over basic desert safety and logistics.

This trip is considered to be intermediate level and can feel strenous. Our total route is roughly 26.5 miles.

Day 1: We will hike through a wide section of canyon, getting a feel for the area. Our travel will continue up-canyon where the trail will narrow a bit and we will gain a bit of elevation. We will discuss setting up a responsible dispersed campsite and how to reduce our imapct in this environment. Set up camp and enjoy a relaxed evening! Approx 6-7 miles.

Day 2: We will continue on our route, traveling through a lush section of cottonwood trees and willow. Later in the day your guide will responsibly teach how to route-find through a section of off trail travel. This is a gorgeous section of high desert chapparral with the possibilty of seeing wild horses! Set up camp and enjoy a relaxing evening. Approx 6-7 miles. This will be our most challenging section.

Day 3: Our route continues as we drop into Marble Canyon. Travel will be mostly down hill as the canyon narrows. We will stop at the confluence of Marble Canyon and Deadhorse Canyon. You will have the option of trying a "solo" camp if you'd like. In this case, you would be within earshot of the rest of the group with support if needed. Approx 6-7 miles. There will be a short down-climb in this section.

Day 4: We will finish our trip hiking through narrow sections of beautiful and photogenic marble canyon. Return to cars and end our trip! Approx 6-7 miles

Desert trips take a lot of planning! This terrain can be very unforgiving. Your guide for this trip has extensive backcountry medical experience and has planned and logged miles for many years in high desert environments. It is true that accidents may happen, but we do our best to inform and watch out for our clients. Your guide will also carry an inreach sattelite communication device in case of emergency.