Death Valley National Park, CA · NV
Unmarked ridge scramble to wide Death Valley views and an exposed high summit.
Overview
Death Valley Buttes is an unmarked 3.0-mile out-and-back from a roadside pullout on Daylight Pass Road to the main Red Top summit. The physical route is about 1.5 miles one way and gains roughly 1,200 feet cumulatively over loose desert slopes and a narrow ridge. It is a strenuous wilderness scramble rather than a maintained trail.
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Death Valley Tour Guide
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 trailhead
Hells Gate: Your First Big Death Valley View“Just ahead is Hells Gate, a high roadside viewpoint that offers one of the first big, sweeping panoramas of Death Valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
From the pullout, cross the short wash to the toe of the ridge, then follow a steep use-trail to the first little saddle and lower/east summit. The route descends to the main saddle, continues along the ridge, and climbs through broken summit cliffs to the main/Red Top summit at about 3,030 feet. The upper section includes loose footing, exposed 3rd- and 4th-class scrambling, a knife-edge ridge, and a very narrow ledge with consequential exposure. The lower summit provides excellent views and is a sensible turnaround for hikers who do not want the upper scramble.
The ridge has broad views across Death Valley, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Corkscrew Peak, Thimble, and the surrounding wilderness. There is no shade, no reliable water, no signage, and little route infrastructure. The route is best for fall, winter, and early spring; heat, wind, thunderstorms, and darkness make this exposed terrain hazardous. Carry ample water, sun protection, a map or GPS track, and footwear suitable for loose rock.
Use the unmarked roadside pullout on Daylight Pass Road at the base of the buttes. Hell's Gate has a safer developed parking area, information kiosk, and restroom about 0.7 miles northeast by road; hikers starting there must account for the additional road or cross-wash access and should move off the pavement quickly. Park only on the shoulder and do not damage desert vegetation. The route enters the Death Valley Wilderness Area; follow Leave No Trace principles. Pets are not permitted on this route.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingCorkscrew Peak Trail7.2 mi · 5.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayUnmarked 7.2-mile desert summit route with loose scrambling and wide-open views
ChallengingKeane Wonder Mine Trail2.9 mi · 3 hr · 5.1 mi awaySteep climb through mining relics to huge Death Valley views
EasySalt Creek Interpretive Trail0.8 mi · 30 min · 8.8 mi awayAn easy, flat boardwalk loop through Salt Creek’s rare desert wetland and pupfish habitat.
EasyMesquite Flat Sand Dunes2 mi · 1.5 hr · 10.7 mi awayCross-country dunes to Death Valley’s tallest dune, with wide-open sunrise and sunset views.
ChallengingGrotto Canyon3.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 11.4 mi awayUnmarked desert-canyon scramble through polished narrows to a high chokestone
EasyTitus Canyon Narrows3 mi · 1.5 hr · 13 mi awayEasy desert walk into Titus Canyon’s narrowest limestone walls.
ModerateFall Canyon Trail6.1 mi · 3.5 hr · 13 mi awayRemote, unmaintained out-and-back into colorful Fall Canyon narrows from the Titus Canyon trailhead.
ModerateMosaic Canyon4 mi · 2.8 hr · 13.6 mi awayA full out-and-back through polished marble narrows, Mosaic Breccia, and dryfall terrain
Scenic pullout · 0.5 mi awayHells GateA high roadside perch with your first sweeping valley panorama
Sight · 3.9 mi awayCorkscrew PeakA steep, off-trail climb to a signature summit with big views
Sight · 5.1 mi awayKeane Wonder MineHistoric gold mine with a rare aerial tramway and big valley views
Sight · 5.5 mi awayChloride CityRugged ghost town ruins with huge views near Chloride Cliff
Sight · 5.7 mi awayChloride CliffRemote cliff‑top panorama with ghost town relics and big-drop drama
Scenic pullout · 7.7 mi awayDevil's CornfieldQuirky arrowweed mounds that look like shocks of corn
Scenic pullout · 8.3 mi awayRed Pass OverlookHigh, narrow pass of red rock with big Titus Canyon views
Trailhead · 8.8 mi awaySalt Creek Interpretive SiteShort boardwalk to a rare desert creek with pupfishParkwolf’s Death Valley ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
