Sidewinder Canyon

Super boring hike. Nothing is properly marked—there are some arrows made of stones that supposed to mark the right path and canyon entrances. We were just walking for miles in the scorching sun on this sandy gravel which makes walking super hard to find some small boring canyons. This was the only area in Death Valley that I didn’t like. Waste of time.

Super nice narrow slot canyon through conglomerate rock. quite narrow in places, and a bit dark in the beginning. Several choke stones require easy scrambling to surpass. The canyon has some very cool twists and turns and looking up reveals sinuous curves of carved rock. Stay in the wide wash until you get to the very cave-like entrance on the right. This canyon was the highlight of my trip!

Death Valley National Park Sidewinder Canyon Trail In the back drop of this photo is the beautiful and stunning Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America -282 ft (86 m) below sea level. To the left in this shot are the majestic foothills and slopes of Telescope Peak, elevation 11,049 ft (3,368 m). This was one of my absolute favorite hikes I have been on in the park. It is definitely a more advanced trail and you should bring lots of water and a flashlight for exploring the slots.

Totally worth the hike and heat! Slot 1, 2, & 3 are all amazing canyons, worth the trip to each one! Slot 1 has a slightly tight space to squeeze through and does get dark so you will need a headlamp or flashlight and the other slots have some small spaces and larger rocks/boulders you have to climb over! About 5 miles total. Be sure to head directly south at the parking lot as there is no marked trail. Slots 1, 2, & 3 are marked with rock stacks at the entrance but there are many other slots to journey into.

Low traffic relatively easy hike thru amazing slot canyons! Hiking itself is easy but there is scrambling over rocks that will be difficult if you do not have good mobility or grippy shoes. Would highly recommend downloading AllTrails map as thr trail head is not marked at all. When you pull into parking area, the start is to the very right. First mile is boring and uninteresting but there are 3 amazing slot canyons on the right side of the larger canyon to explore. Slot canyons 2, and 3 are definitely not to be missed! We hiked about a mile past slot canyon 3 and really wasn't necessary since the larger canyon is pretty much the same thruout!

Aside from the uphill slog in the wash full of loose rocks/gravel this is a must-do if you're in the area more due to the slot canyons. They are marked with rocks that form arrows and numbers. The slots are a blast and offer unique light and photo opportunities. I tend to use Maps.me and US topo maps to locate where I am on the trail and track distance out here. We're full time RVr's focused on hiking. Blog link in my bio.

relatively easy hike with several short slots, 2 are really amazing! IMO the best are on the right (going in), 1 just before the canyon narrows (looks like a cave entrance) and the other about 1/4 mile up the canyon once it narrows.

Great hike that has four side slot canyons. All are fun but three and four from the mouth of the wash are the real standouts.