Death Valley Classic Backpack
Las Vegas, NV
4.9 (9 reviews)Trip Highlights
- 3 Dramatic Canyons
- Desert Oases
- Stunning Narrows Sections
- Potential to See Wild Horses
- Elaborate Concentration of Petroglyphs
- Colorful Rock Formations & Fossils
- Point to Point Thru Hike
Description
Connect three incredible canyons in one wonderful, four-day backpacking adventure in wild and scenic Death Valley National Park (see a video). This trip explores lush, desert oases, ancient petroglyph rock art and some of the most impressive narrows anywhere. Our adventure begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, where we’ll pick you up from your hotel and get an early start out to Death Valley National Park, Cottonwood Canyon and this otherworldly Basin and Range environment. We’ll spend 4 days traversing a series of valleys and canyons, camping near springs and oases, and sleeping under one of the most vivid night skies you’ve ever seen!
From the trailhead, we’ll begin our hike up the uniquely-fertile Cottonwood Canyon, one of Death Valley’s true treasures, camping in tree-shaded luxury and exploring some twisty-turny side canyons before making our way via Dead Horse Canyon to stunning Marble Canyon. Descending into Marble Canyon, we’ll enjoy hiking through towering narrows and spot prehistoric petroglyphs along with epically ancient fossils.
NEED TO KNOW: WINTER TRIPS
If you want to get out hiking this winter, Death Valley is a great place to do it! Winter temperatures are wonderful for hiking and enjoying being outdoors and surrounded by vast wilderness. We invite you to read more about Death Valley climate info.
$1215 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 4
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 25-30 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 3-9 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 1800 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 1500 feet
- Quality of Trails:
- Unmaintained
- Additional:
- This trip follows rock, dirt and sand trails that are unmaintained. The walking is generally moderate with some rugged sections.
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- regularly exercise vigorously
- be comfortable hiking, biking, running, or swimming for several hours without many breaks
SOLITUDE LEVEL 4
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Death Valley hike a solitude 4. You can expect to see zero to a couple of other groups per day in the backcountry.
Learn More about our Rating SystemTRAVEL TO LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport is one of the most easily accessed destinations in the country. Many major cities in the United States and internationally offer direct flights into Las Vegas. A company named Airline Shuttle (1-888-554-1156) can help you with economic transport to most hotels. Taxi cabs run about $40 to downtown, and the city is also Uber- and Lyft-friendly.
UTAH SALES TAX
Utah is the only state we are based in that charges sales tax to outfitters and guides. The sales tax is based on the St. George, UT municipality rates, which are adjusted occasionally but are in the 6-7% range. For all of our hiking and backpacking tours that originate from our St. George, Utah base (Utah trips and Death Valley trips), the sales tax will be applied automatically to your payments. Feel free to call us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Traveling in perfect company is a wonderful thing! With our private trip offerings you can book a trip exclusively for your group. Whether it’s with family, friends or colleagues, private trips are a fun and enriching way to explore the outdoors.
Private trip pricing is based on a sliding scale, depending on the number of people in your party. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax and national park fees (where applicable) or guide gratuity. Give us a call at 800-715-HIKE to get the ball rolling!
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2
- 3 People: Rate x 1.3
- 4 People: Rate x 1.1
- 5+ People: Rate x 1
*all rates are per person
Learn About Our Private Trips
View Private TripsItinerary
DAY 1
- Shuttle to Death Valley: 4 hours
- Hiking Mileage: 8.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1300 feet
This multi-day Death Valley hiking trip begins with pickup from your hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and transportation to our trailhead. Upon entering Death Valley National Park we’ll stop at the Furnace Creek Visitors’ Center to pick up our permit. After Furnace Creek, we’ll have about 30 more minutes of driving on the pavement before we turn off at Stovepipe Wells onto a rough dirt road. Ten miles of washboarded four-wheel driving will take us to the start of our hike at the confluence of Cottonwood and Marble Canyons. We’ll make lunch at the car before heading off down the trail. Our hike will take us along 8.5 miles up the Cottonwood Canyon road to the wilderness boundary. We’ll make camp here under the shade of a few cottonwood trees next to a lush desert spring, a pleasant anomaly in such a harsh environment.
DAY 2
- Hiking Mileage: 3.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 500 feet
With just a few miles on our plate today, we’ll enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning and take our time packing. Traversing along Cottonwood Creek for another 3.5 miles, we’ll come to another spring where we’ll make camp and break-out lunch.
We’ll then enjoy the option of exploring one of the many narrow, side-canyons or summiting one of the surrounding unnamed peaks for incredible, 4,000-foot views of the surrounding desert. Tonight, we’ll stock our bellies with a hearty dinner and go to bed early to get plenty of rest for tomorrow’s adventure.
DAY 3
- Hiking Mileage: 6.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1500 feet
- Elevation Loss: 1200 feet
Although today doesn’t have the most mileage, many would consider it the most difficult day of the trip. We’ll start by hiking further into Cottonwood Canyon. Our now-familiar springs quickly dry out as the once-dramatic canyon dissipates into a shallow valley.
Hiking towards the head of Cottonwood Canyon, we’ll continue up over a pass and drop down a steep, off trail descent into Dead Horse canyon — all the while enjoying tremendous views of 6,381-ft Thimble Peak and the Grapevine Mountains to the Northeast. After a steep descent, we’ll enter Dead Horse Canyon and make our way to our campsite for the evening near a friendly spring. We’ll follow this trickle to an eight-foot dry-fall, scramble down the fall and take a rest at the confluence of Dead Horse and Marble Canyons. Tonight’s camp is here on a secluded sandy bench at the confluence with our third and final canyon.
DAY 4
- Hiking Mileage: 7.8 miles
- Elevation Loss: 1800 feet
- Shuttle to Las Vegas: 4 hours
Today, we’ll finish out our trip with an exciting early-morning hike down stunning Marble Canyon. In many ways, we’ve saved the best for last. Today’s scenery is enough to turn any hiker into an aspiring photographer.
We’ll pass several smaller springs along the hike today, providing pockets of riparian vegetation. Further on, the incredible geology of Marble Canyon starts to show us a wheel of colors. We’ll also try to spot fossil shells in the polished dolomite wall, and find ourselves marveling under the most impressive collection of petroglyphs in Death Valley National Park.
After exiting the last narrows, we’ll come upon a primitive dirt road that signals our final two miles of easy cruising back to the vehicle for our return drive to Las Vegas.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and technical backpack
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- A professional, knowledgeable, certified Death Valley hiking guide
- Comprehensive, roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Las Vegas and back
- All necessary entrance fees and permits
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
- You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wildland Trekking hiking trip after your first one!
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (Oboz hiking shoes and boots recommended)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
MEALS: WHAT TO EXPECT
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
GEAR WE PROVIDE
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki or Black Diamond trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
WHAT GEAR TO BRING
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are three 1-liter water bottles per person and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
WHAT CLOTHES TO BRING
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with detailed guidance about what clothes to pack (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, and our recommended clothing system. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
Trip Logistics
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
WHERE DO WE MEET?
This trip originates in Las Vegas, Nevada. Your guide will be in contact approximately 10 days before the trip start date to coordinate the pre-trip orientation, which will be at 5:00 PM at a hotel in Las Vegas. Your guide will then pick you up at your hotel the next morning for transport to the trailhead. For Private Death Valley Tours your guide will meet you at your hotel in Las Vegas at an agreed upon time.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
START/END TIMES
Your guide will inform you of the first day’s pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day normally before 5 PM (this time is not guaranteed, as a variety of circumstances can influence our exact return time).
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We’ve developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and most tours carry a satellite phone. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
GUIDES
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
GUIDE WORKING PARAMETERS
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
GROUP SIZE AND AGE RESTRICTIONS
The standard group size on our Death Valley trips is 6 guests and 1 guide, with a maximum of 10 guests and 2 guides. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we’ll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
WEATHER IN DEATH VALLEY
Death Valley encompasses an area with extreme elevation and climate variations. It is home to the lowest point in the United States: Bad Water Basin at 282 feet below sea level. Its highest point, Telescope Peak, is 11,049 feet high, a 11,331 ft difference!! Most of our trips focus on the lower elevations, and feature comfortably moderate winter temperatures, and warm-hot Spring/Fall temperatures. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). Read below for average high and low temperatures in the lower sections of Death Valley:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | ||||||
|
Month
|
Low
|
Hi
|
||||
|
January
|
40°
|
67°
|
||||
|
February
|
46°
|
73°
|
||||
|
March
|
55°
|
82°
|
||||
|
April
|
62°
|
91°
|
||||
|
October
|
62°
|
93°
|
||||
|
November
|
48°
|
77°
|
||||
|
December
|
38°
|
65°
|
||||
Accommodations
BACKCOUNTRY SLEEPING
TENT CAMPING
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
BACKCOUNTRY CUISINE
FRESH & DELICIOUS
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
AMAZING CAMPSITES
IN THE ACTION
Of course campsites vary tremendously by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your backpacking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Reviews
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Kelly S.
Fantastic Trip
The trip was fantastic and very well organized. Our best interests and safety were always at top of mind with our guide.
Carolyn C.
Could not have been more thrilled.
My husband and I could not have been more thrilled with this trip. I have been backpacking in the mountains of the West since I was a child, but at 54 and very busy, this time I wanted all the delight of hiking in beautiful places without the hassle of the planning. The planning, the equipment, the food, and the guides were all superb! Samantha and Adam were absolutely amazing. I would go with them anywhere. Kind, funny, interesting, compassionate, great cooks, and keen observers of people. We had 9 people in our group (plus the guides) and Sam and Adam did an absolutely amazing job of creating a space where we could all be challenged while also being met where we were. I cannot say enough about them and this trip. I'm already planning my next one!
Karolina S.
Amazing Guide
Samantha Cook was an amazing guide. I recommend her wholeheartedly. She is knowledgeable, patient, caring, great cook with a bubbly personality. We had a fantastic time thanks to her.
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