Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ranch at Furnace Creek Swimming Pool
SWIMMING
This huge spring-fed pool is kept at a steady 84°F (29°C) and cleaned with a nifty flow-
through system that uses minimal chlorine. It's primarily for
Ranch at Furnace Creek
guests, but a limited number of visitor passes are available ($5).
Hiking
Avoid hiking in summer, except on higher-elevation mountain trails, which may be
snowed in during winter.
On Hwy 190, just north of Beatty Cutoff Rd, is the half-mile
Salt Creek Interpretive
alongside the boardwalk. A few miles south of Furnace Creek is
Golden Canyon
,
where a
self-guided interpretive trail winds for a mile up to the now-oxidized iron cliffs of
Red
Cathedral
. With a good sense of orientation, you can keep going up to
Zabriskie Point
,
for
a hardy 4-mile round-trip. Before reaching Badwater, stretch your legs with a 1-mile
round-trip walk to the
Natural Bridge
.
Off Wildrose Canyon Rd, starting by the charcoal kilns,
Wildrose Peak
(9064ft) is an
8.4-mile round-trip trail. The elevation gain is 2200ft, but great views start about halfway
up.
The park's most demanding summit is
Telescope Peak
(11,049ft), with views that
plummet down to the desert floor - which is as far below as two Grand Canyons deep!
The 14-mile round-trip climbs 3000ft above Mahogany Flat, off upper Wildrose Canyon
Rd. Get full details from the visitors center before setting out.
