Death Valley National Park, CA · NV
Remote, unmaintained out-and-back into colorful Fall Canyon narrows from the Titus Canyon trailhead.
Overview
Fall Canyon is a remote, unmaintained desert out-and-back in the Grapevine Mountains. From the Titus Canyon and Fall Canyon Trailhead, the standard visitor route follows an unmarked approach across the alluvial fan and continues up Fall Canyon to the first dryfall. The National Park Service lists this hike as 6 miles (9.7 km) round trip, 3.5 hours, moderate to difficult, with 2,460 feet (752 m) of elevation gain. The detailed mapped corridor is 3.07 miles one way; Parkwolf stores that physical corridor once and reports about 6.1 miles for the out-and-back.
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 area
Titus Canyon: A Backcountry Drive or Hike“That massive opening in the mountains ahead is the mouth of Titus Canyon, one of the park's premier backcountry adventures.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the 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
Begin at the open gravel parking area and take the footpath behind the vault toilet across the alluvial fan to the mouth of Fall Canyon. Once in the wash, head east (right) up the drainage. The route passes dramatic, banded Bonanza King Formation walls and increasingly narrow canyon sections before reaching the approximately 25-foot dryfall at the end of the standard route, about 3.1–3.2 miles from the start. Turn around there and return by the same corridor. A south-side bypass beyond the dryfall leads toward Upper Fall Canyon but involves exposed Class 2/3 scrambling; it is not part of this stored visitor route.
Reach the trailhead via the 2.7-mile unpaved two-way section of Titus Canyon Road off Scotty’s Castle Road. The open gravel lot is not recommended for large RVs or buses, and a vault toilet is available. Start behind the restroom. The route is unmaintained and not accessible, with faint footing on the alluvial-fan approach and loose gravel, rocks, and sand in the wash. Pets are not allowed on park trails, and the NPS route page does not require a day-hiking permit.
This is a fully exposed desert hike with no water on route and little dependable shade. Carry ample water and sun protection, and avoid extreme heat. Watch for flash-flood risk and unstable canyon walls. Stop at the dryfall unless you are experienced with the technical, exposed bypass terrain.
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
EasyTitus Canyon Narrows3 mi · 1.5 hr · At the trailheadEasy desert walk into Titus Canyon’s narrowest limestone walls.
ChallengingCorkscrew Peak Trail7.2 mi · 5.5 hr · 12.7 mi awayUnmarked 7.2-mile desert summit route with loose scrambling and wide-open views
ChallengingDeath Valley Buttes3 mi · 3.5 hr · 13 mi awayUnmarked ridge scramble to wide Death Valley views and an exposed high summit.
ChallengingCottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop26.3 mi · 18 hr · 14.7 mi awayA demanding backcountry loop through Cottonwood, Deadhorse, and Marble Canyons
Sight · 0.1 mi awayTitus CanyonOne-way canyon drive through narrows, ghost town, and rock art
Sight · 1.3 mi awayFall CanyonQuiet, colorful narrows north of Titus Canyon with a punchy dry fall
Sight · 6.6 mi awayLeadfield Ghost TownPhotogenic 1920s mining-scam ruins along Titus Canyon
Scenic pullout · 7.8 mi awayRed Pass OverlookHigh, narrow pass of red rock with big Titus Canyon viewsParkwolf’s Death Valley ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
