Women’s Death Valley Basecamp Tour

• Shuttle to Death Valley: 2.5 hours
• Hiking Mileage: 5 miles
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 680 feet

This Women only Death Valley hiking tour starts with pick up from your hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. From Las Vegas, we’ll shuttle across the iconic Mojave Desert, famous for its towering, desert mountain ranges punctuated by vast basins. We will enter the Park and almost immediately enjoy views of “the Badlands,” which are sharp, razor-shaped hills with beautiful colors created by their composition of volcanic metals. At the border of the Badlands, we will hike to the tip of Zabriske Point where we’ll enjoy initial views of Death Valley and the soaring Panamint Mountains, whose highest point is 11,053′ Telescope Peak.

After a brief visit to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, we’ll continue on to the trailhead of our first real hike: a classic Death Valley trekking loop that leads us far into the Badlands of the Amargosa Mountains. After a scenic picnic lunch with 360° views, we’ll head down into the water-scuplted Gower Gulch which takes us out onto an angled desert landscape at the edge of Death Valley itself.

If time and desire is abundant, we will stop at one of several historic highlights near Furnace Creek before making our way to our campsite. After setting up our basecamp, we’ll congregate for a wonderful, camp-cooked supper and then sink in to our camp chairs by a cozy camp fire as the Milky Way lights up the sky (stunningly vivid night skies are a highlight of this trip for some guests!)

• Drive Time: 3-5 hours
• Hiking Mileage: 9 miles
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 2000 feet

After an early start and hot breakfast, we’ll continue our exploration of Death Valley with a shuttle into the pine-studded Panamint Mountains, where we’ll shoot for the summit of Wildrose Peak (~9,000′). This amazing mountain hike provides us a fulfilling physical challenge with a similarly rewarding summit. Near the trailhead we’ll check out Death Valley’s historic Charcoal Kilns, which are very large stone domes used to produce charcoal for Old West mining operations in the 19th and early 20th centuries. With refreshingly cool temperatures, our trek will lead us through charming Juniper and Piñon forest as we ascend the eastern slope of Wildrose Peak. At the summit, we’ll soak up dramatic views of Death Valley, Panamint Valley, and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada Range (home of the tallest peak in the Continental USA, Mount Whitney) on the western horizon.

• Drive Time: 5 hours
• Hiking Mileage: 4+ miles
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 635 feet

Today we’ll start with a leisurely morning and big breakfast. Our hikes are easier ones after yesterday’s ascent of Wildrose, giving our muscles a chance to recover while we enjoy more unique aspects of Death Valley. Today’s two hikes take us across the majestic Mesquite Sand Dunes and to a wonder of the desert — a lush oasis and waterfall. We’ll shuttle west past the Devil’s Cornfield and embark on a trek through the wonderful Mesquite Sand Dunes. From the tops of the dunes, we’ll soak up panoramic views of the mountain ranges that surround us, and gain a better understanding of what the valley must have looked like as a glaciated lake in the cool and wet Pleistocene Era.

After the sand dunes, we’ll continue our shuttle farther west to visit one of the most surprising sights in Death Valley National Park. The waterfall and oasis we visit today is an anomaly — a spring-fed waterfall of dramatic beauty in one of the the driest places on our planet. Our relaxing, two-mile walk to the falls is a must-see during our time in Death Valley National Park. We’ll dip our feet (or more) in the refreshing pool at the base of the falls and marvel at the majesty of this unlikely feature.

• Hiking Mileage: 4-7 miles
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 200-500 feet
• Shuttle to Las Vegas: 2.5-3.5 hours

For our last day in Death Valley National Park, we’ll hike one of multiple canyons of the Amargosa Mountain Range. Options include Sidewinder, Desolation, or Kaleidoscope Canyons, or Virgin Spring Wash. Each option offers its own unique aspects of Death Valley, and we’ll make our selection based on the desires of the group. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch on our hike or, if we have time, at Dante’s View—the most dramatic overlook of Death Valley. Finally we enjoy a relaxing drive back across the desert to Las Vegas, where we’ll drop you off at your hotel of choice and say our fond farewells.