Best time to visit
There are no hours and crowds are minimal year‑round. Treat it as a quick, on‑your‑route stop—plan daylight travel windows and extra time for slow, rough roads.
Overview
About Crankshaft Crossing
Crankshaft Crossing is a remote roadside landmark in the park’s northern backcountry, where rough dirt roads meet and a pile of old engine crankshafts marks the junction. It’s not a developed stop—think folk-art curiosity and navigational waypoint rather than an attraction with amenities. Off‑roaders and overlanders know it as a fun, oddball photo op and a reference point when linking northern routes.
Why stop
- Quirky roadside photo spot marked by a stack of crankshafts
- Expansive, lonely desert views at a remote junction
- Useful waypoint for northern backcountry routes
Heads up
- No services or facilities of any kind
- Rough, remote dirt roads; high-clearance recommended and flats possible
Map
Where it is
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Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Crankshaft Crossing
Bring high‑clearance (ideally 4WD), a full‑size spare, and a repair kit.
Carry extra water, food, and a first‑aid kit—there are zero services here.
Download offline maps and don’t rely on cell coverage for navigation.
Expect slow going on rough roads; build buffer time into your day.
Leave no trace and don’t alter the crankshaft pile.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
Road Conditions & Logistics
3 active Death Valley alerts
- ClosurePark roads closed or hazardousPlan around multiple closed roads and use extra caution on damaged routes. - Paved roads: North Highway and Beatty Cut-off are closed due to flooding and debris from the October 22 storm.Official details
- ClosureSaline Valley Lower Springs closed after wildfireLower Springs at Saline Valley Warm Springs remains closed after the September 15 wildfire; stay out because the fire left safety hazards, including potential hazardous chemicals.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Death Valley Tour Guide
Your drive to Crankshaft Crossing, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Death Valley National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Death Valley audio tourRecorded for this place
Crankshaft Crossing: A Quirky Backcountry LandmarkListen
“That lonely junction you're approaching is known as Crankshaft Crossing. It's exactly what it sounds like—a monument made of old engine crankshafts piled up to mark where these remote backcountry roads meet.”
Plays as you drive up to Crankshaft Crossing in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Two Deserts, One Park
- 130 audio storiesacross Death Valley’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Desert Tortoise, Coyote, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 36 trails, 114 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Crankshaft Crossing
What You’ll SeeThe star is the crankshaft monument itself—an eccentric stack of metal in the middle of stark…
- The star is the crankshaft monument itself—an eccentric stack of metal in the middle of stark desert.
- Big‑sky emptiness and long views of surrounding mountains and valleys add to the sense of isolation.
- You’ll likely have it to yourself; it’s far from the park’s busy corridors.
Amenities (There Aren’t Any)No restrooms, water, picnic tables, gas, or stores.
No restrooms, water, picnic tables, gas, or stores. This is simply a junction with a quirky marker. It’s not a developed campground and doesn’t appear on the park’s official developed campground list.
WildlifeThere’s no specific wildlife draw here.
There’s no specific wildlife draw here. Typical desert critters may be around, but sightings are sparse in this harsh, open setting.
EtiquetteLeave no trace. Enjoy the oddity, but resist the urge to add or remove parts from the monument.
Leave no trace. Enjoy the oddity, but resist the urge to add or remove parts from the monument.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Death Valley
71 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
101 sightingsDesert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
458 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
28 sightingsFeral BurroMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
30 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
62 sightingsKit FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Death Valley. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
