Hiking the Mosaic Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park
Distance: 3.6 miles / 5.8 km
Renowned for the beautiful sedimentary rocks that line the canyon walls, the Mosaic Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park is a fun, relatively easy adventure that is often seen as the sister trail to Grotto Canyon, just to the east.
However, Mosaic Canyon is, by far, more accessible for most people, as Grotto Canyon is notorious for being one of the more advanced day hikes in Death Valley.
This is to say that the Mosaic Canyon Trail is a great family-friendly adventure, and it’s one that I personally recommend hiking early in the morning to enjoy the best of the beautiful morning light on the patterned canyon walls.
U.S. National Park Pass
Did you know that the same America the Beautiful Pass that grants access to all 63 U.S. National Parks can be purchased in advance at REI?
Yes, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
Mosaic Canyon Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Mosaic Canyon Trailhead is located in a dirt parking lot just outside of Stovepipe Wells at the end of the 2.3-mile (3.7 km) Mosaic Canyon Road.
Most low-clearance vehicles should be able to make the drive to the trailhead if you take it slow.
Google Maps Directions: Mosaic Canyon Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Death Valley
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Death Valley National Park.
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
Sun Shirt w/ Hood - A quality sun shirt can be your best friend on a trail with minimal shade, which can be found in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Hiking the Mosaic Canyon Trail
The Mosaic Canyon Trail begins in an open, dry wash, but the canyon walls quickly close in within the first 0.25 miles (0.4 km).
In my opinion, some of the most beautiful stretches of the canyon were within the first 0.5 miles (0.8 km) of the trailhead.
Toward the middle of the trail, Mosaic Canyon opens up on both sides for a short stretch before closing in again.
As you can see from the arrows on the ground, go left to climb around this boulder.
If you end up going right, the trail runs into rock wall where you’ll likely choose to go back around the other way.
In my opinion, this climb is the most difficult scramble on the entire hike.
Above the climb, you can go in either direction around the next boulder.
Both directions are shown below.
At about the 1.4-mile (2.3 km) mark, you’ll need to hike up and around the wash to the right in order to continue.
If you had continued straight, the wash runs into a very tall waterfall, which would easily require gear to climb.
These photos show the upper route that climbs up and around the waterfall chute.
At this point, head back do into the wash to continue further up the trail.
Go left around this part to take the easiest path.
This dry waterfall chute is typically the end of the hike for most people. However, it is possible to continue further, but a hike like that would require a bit more preparation than what is shown here.
In the following photos, I took pictures of the route that heads even further up Mosaic Canyon.
Upper Mosaic Canyon
We saw one group hiking up and around the falls, but like I said, continuing past this area would require much more planning than this simple day hike.
Additionally, if you look on Google Satellite to the east of the canyon, you can see a trail that branches off of the main wash near the trailhead, which meets up with the same route from this area in the two photos below.
These two photos are the end of Mosaic Canyon but facing the opposite direction as the dry waterfall chute in the photo above.
More Death Valley Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing adventures within Death Valley National Park, check out my separate posts below!
Best Way to Find Places to Stay!
Wherever I travel, I love to start my search for places to stay on VRBO.
Even if I don’t end up booking through them, I think it’s one of the best ways to see what’s in the area!
Washington
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Discover Cars!
Safety
For obvious reasons, Death Valley National Park is widely known for its extreme temperatures and extreme temperature swings, as the park spans from -282 ft. (-86 m) at Badwater Basin to just over 11,000 ft. (3,353 m) atop Telescope Peak.
That being said, the National Park Service recommends visiting in October - April, but even then, exposed hiking during October and April can be pushing it. However, November - February are easily the most desirable months to hike in Death Valley, with the best spring flowers peaking from late March to early April.
Additionally, there are three venomous snakes in Death Valley, as well as scorpions and black widow spiders, meaning it’s important to be mindful where you place your hands and feet—especially when scrambing in the canyons.
In all, always hike with 2-3L of water per person and never take the extreme weather conditions lightly, as the heat has claimed many lives over the years!
As always, find the most up-to-date information and conditions on the official National Park website.
National Park Service: Death Valley National Park
U.S. National Parks Pass
Did you know that the same America the Beautiful Pass that grants access to all 63 U.S. National Parks can be purchased in advance at REI?
Yes, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
More U.S. National Parks
If you’d like to read more about some of my best recommendations when visiting other U.S. National Parks, check out some of my other posts below!
Disclaimer
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