Road closures and hazardous road conditions
Several Death Valley roads are closed or hazardous; check current road conditions before traveling. - Bonnie Clare Road and Scotty’s Castle: closed because of flood recovery work; no access is permitted, including pedestrians. Reopening is unknown and depends on project completion. - Darwin Falls Road: closed to all motorized vehicles, including motorcycles, because the road is completely gone in many places. The closure is likely to remain until summer 2027 while the park evaluates extensive imported road fill or gravel mined from a nearby wash; gravel mining would require thorough environmental review. Bicycles are permitted, and hikers can park on the shoulder of CA-190 and walk in. - Hunter Mountain Road: closed to all motorized vehicles because extremely muddy conditions have led to multiple stuck vehicles. - The unpaved-road closures apply to all motorized vehicles, including motorcycles, because the roads were completely washed out in places; entering them causes tire tracks and braided roads in the wilderness as users try to locate what was once the road. Bicycles are permitted. - North Highway: use caution for loose gravel and missing shoulders caused by flood damage. - Southern Badwater Road south of Badwater Basin to Shoshone: expect loose gravel, soft shoulders, dust, large shoulder drops, unpaved sections, and areas without pavement markings caused by flood damage. - Lower Wildrose Road (also called Trona–Wildrose Road): vehicles longer than 25 feet are not allowed; the road is narrow with soft shoulders and rough gravel and potholes, but is passable in most standard vehicles. - Harry Wade Road: deep sand begins approximately 6 miles south of its junction with Badwater Road. - Phinney Canyon Road: the final 3 miles are significantly washed out and impassable to all vehicles. - Titus Canyon Road: temporarily open after initial repairs but may close on occasional days; it will be closed for repairs October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Check current park road conditions before traveling.
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