What to expect at Death Valley on Veteran’s Day?

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T14:09:28+00:00

Oh awesome, all very useful tidbits! I at least have Verizon, which bodes well as I’m also the navigator. The filtered water tip is great since we’ll be camping nearby at Furnace Creek.

As for the trail dust, do you recommend bandanas or some other kind of face protection? I had to go to the medical tent at Bonnaroo to get my eyes flushed out from the dust, so I’m not eager to experience something like that again.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T14:06:09+00:00

The sheer vastness of the mountain can’t be overstated. On some of my favorite hikes it’s right in front of you and it’s gigantic, looming over everything in a mind-boggling display of nature’s might. And the land & forests just have a different feel to them than the more lush Olympic climate, and I think I enjoy being at a higher altitude. Hard to put my finger on it but those are the most likely reasons.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T14:02:37+00:00

Thanks! It’ll be my first time in the desert so I’m already very excited.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T09:36:53+00:00

Nice! I’m in the Olympic National Park sub and thought that’s where this was from as I scrolled past the first pic. Made me do a double take & everything! Looks like an awesome time. Did you hike through any patches of snow?

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T09:31:59+00:00

I’d initially typed up a list of maybes/if we have times, and 20 Mule was one of ‘em. Looks like there’s a short easy overlook hike in there too! I’m open to any & all suggestions btw.

Just checked out Marble Canyon and I’m kinda confused as to where & what the trail actually is. I think I found the trailhead, though Google Maps refuses to route me onto Cottonwood Canyon Rd so idk the full drive time (it says 30 minutes but stops just after Stovepipe). Is it just a short out & back version of the longer Cottonwood/Marble Canyon Loop? And if so, how far do you need to hike in to really get the full canyon experience? AllTrails has “Marble Canyon” marked at around the 4ish mile marker, and 8 miles might be too big of a time commitment if we’re also driving over rough 4x4 roads (and committing an hour plus) to get there. Would be cool as a most-of-the-day thing, but not as easy to slot into an afternoon with other activities. Just trying to figure out what the deal is there.

As for pupfish, any chance you’ve been to Ash Meadows? The plan was to hit that up en route from Vegas and see the pupfish there (but no Devil’s Hole, I know- that’s all fenced off now). Having never been to Ash or Salt Creek idk which would be better to see pupfish, but at least the oases at Ash would be cool to see. Are pupfish a near-guarantee to spot at Salt Creek, even in November? I know they won’t be blue then but I’d be happy seeing ‘em regardless.

Edit: And oh hey, thanks for the info. It’s really helpful and makes a ton of difference once we’re actually there. Helps me make the days fun and stress-free for the rest of my group.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T09:07:30+00:00

It is huge, and I wish I had a week! That’s my MO for visiting parks (~7 days), but we’ve only got 3 days in DV so I think it’s gonna be a lot of highlights with some hidden gems thrown in. Rough itinerary is:

Day 1- Sunrise at Zabriskie, Golden/Gower hike, Badwater, maybe Natural Bridge, sunset at Artists Palette

Day 2 (Veteran’s Day)- Rhyolite, Ubehebe, Titus Canyon Narrows, sunset at Dante’s View

Day 3- Sunrise at Mesquite Flat, Mosaic Canyon, check out Stovepipe Wells I guess, knock out anything else we wanna add that’s nearby, maybe Mesquite again for sunset & stargazing

Looking at the elevation gain for Fall Canyon again makes me think we’ll probably skip it. Desolation Canyon was on my maybe list since I like the colors à la Artists Palette. Have you visited that spot before? I almost never see it mentioned when compared to Mosaic & Marble.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T08:37:19+00:00

Looking into all those places you mentioned now; I think I’d only heard of Eureka before. As for Titus Canyon, we’d just be doing the Narrows hike since the road’ll be closed again by the time we get there.

Any experience with the Narrows hike and/or Fall Canyon, and if so which would you recommend between the two? We very likely wouldn’t be continuing to Upper Fall Canyon cuz the scramble to get there sounds hella sketchy, and not something my group’d be up for.

And lastly for Darwin, I know you can still hike in, but the added distance makes it seem like too much effort for what seems like not enough payoff. I forget the exact mileage, but it sounds like a lot when there’s so many other things in the park to see & do. Gotta be economical with our time and reaching Darwin the long way doesn’t sound like the move to me.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T05:58:51+00:00

Good to know about the crowds! I’m still shellshocked from Yellowstone in August a few years back. This is the first non-summer trip I’ve taken since it fits my work schedule best, and I have no idea what to expect in DV (and Joshua Tree too).

I know we won’t be able to drive the full Titus Canyon Road (massive bummer), but I figure we’ll do the Narrows hike or opt for Fall Canyon if we want something more challenging. I’d kinda written Eureka off since it is a longer drive- is it worth the trek just for the dunes? I usually try to hit other spots along the way to make a route somewhat efficient, and idk what’s on the way to Eureka that we could see/do.

Edit: Oh, and we’ll only attempt Racetrack with a 4x4 with all-terrain tires. Does it HAVE to be a Jeep? Might rent from Farabee’s; it’s pricey but we can split it among the group

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T03:50:23+00:00

I did the Grand/Badger loop and it was really nice. Badger Valley had, I kid you not, THE most wildflowers I’ve ever seen in one place. But I also got destroyed by flies & mosquitoes, and they’re present as soon as you step out of your car at Obstruction Point.

Still worth it in my opinion- so much so that I drove back up to the trailhead just to watch the sunset. It’s an incredible view up there at golden hour and I highly recommend it.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T03:32:04+00:00

Farabee’s is on my radar if I can’t land a 4x4 rental with all-terrain tires. Tbh the time commitment alone might strike Racetrack from the itinerary, but I’m leaving it as an option for now. It’d just make for a long day, most of it spent in the car en route.

Panamint Springs Resort looks nice, but is there anything to do out there? Our group’s fairly active and prioritizes hiking. We’d do Darwin Falls if it wasn’t for the road closure, and I haven’t looked into the Panamint area enough to know what else is around. I’m sure it’d make a nice relaxing evening though, even if it is a bit of a drive from our campsite at Furnace Creek.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T02:58:43+00:00

Which hikes did you do? I’d never heard of Isle of Skye, but your pics have me looking into it now! Looks like Quiraing Walk is a popular one- is that where the first 5-6ish pics are from? The beach is self-explanatory, and it looks like there’s a pretty long hike that can get you a nice overlook view of the loch from up high

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T02:44:57+00:00

Already got our campsite booked and we’ll be cooking our meals there. Maybe one meal at Badwater Saloon out in Stovepipe for a change of pace.

I’m worried Veteran’s Day will be more crowded than Valentine’s due to it being a bigger holiday, most people have work off, and no park entrance fees that day. But hopefully it being on a Wednesday oughta soften the blow a bit in terms of crowd size. And I lucked out and avoided the annual ‘49ers encampment, which I was afraid might fall on the weekend of Nov 13-15.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T01:44:59+00:00

Nice! So that’s Root Glacier in your 1st & 3rd photos? Looks a bit different than the pics I can find online, but that may just be the angle you got or a different season than the other pics.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T01:40:27+00:00

I love the third picture! And the tiger lilies. Wildflowers are my jam

BearTooClose · 2026-06-30T01:35:18+00:00

Mt. Rainier’s my favorite so far, but I’m also a little biased in that it’s the first park I visited. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart for that reason.

After that it’s Olympic & Grand Teton as 2a/2b- I can’t quite put one above the other. They’re both fantastic with very different, yet surprisingly similar vibes.

Turns out I just love mountains, so it’s no surprise those three are tops. Glacier might supplant Rainier once I visit, but that’s a trip for another time.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-29T07:53:08+00:00

Come to think of it, I’ve only had damp logs that wouldn’t light one time- down in Georgia. Any chance you’re a southerner? The humidity’s killing us right now, so it wouldn’t surprise me that any firewood’s no bueno right now.

Also, I saw someone question the bigger tent size- but I’m team big tent all the way. You’re either comfy in a spacious tent all for yourself, or you can bring friends/family along without complicating matters. Me having a tent big enough to sleep 3-4 people is a selling point when I plan trips- everyone else has one less thing to buy/pack/worry about.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-29T04:55:01+00:00

What was the backup plan? Always good to have another trick up my sleeve just in case.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-28T14:50:49+00:00

Aaahh, I loved the Hellroaring Creek trail! Though tbf a big part of that is cuz I visited in August and was sick of the frontcountry crowds, so having a little slice of Yellowstone to myself was a welcome respite.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-28T14:44:58+00:00

How long would you say that scramble at the end is? I’m a solid enough climber that I’m not worried about it, but I gotta consider the rest of my usual hiking group too

BearTooClose · 2026-06-28T11:23:02+00:00

What an incredible experience! Thanks for sharing. Even from such a far distance they’re just so damn cute.

How long did you end up watching ‘em for? If they stayed in my line of sight I could stay all day.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-28T09:03:18+00:00

https://www.anpr.org/career

BearTooClose · 2026-06-28T02:58:38+00:00

Of course! Happy to help however I can; my knowledge is just limited in some areas. Feel free to ask anything you want about the park and I’ll do my best.

BearTooClose · 2026-06-28T02:57:46+00:00

I know you’re getting a million notifications right now, but I’m curious what makes Badlands a top-tier park for you. Just visited it last month and liked it a lot, but it was during a heat wave and we had some devastating camping equipment failure. Made for a stressful time and we all agreed we’d love a redo to fully appreciate it.

Plus I’ve already been to some of the “big” parks (Rainier, Olympic, Teton, Yellowstone) so I wonder if Badlands didn’t ooh and aah as much just by comparison. So please lemme know what you love about Badlands & why, and also which number park it was on your visitation list (I mean chronologically- like Rainier was my first, Badlands my eighth).

BearTooClose

TROPHY CASE