Parking
Use the paved Golden Canyon Trailhead parking lot on Badwater Road, 2 miles south of CA-190. The lot has large spaces for buses and RVs, plus a vault toilet.
Overview
About Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral
Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral is a 3-mile (4.8 km) out-and-back from the Golden Canyon Trailhead to the base of Red Cathedral. The National Park Service rates it moderate, lists 1.5 to 2 hours round trip, and reports about 577 feet (176 m) of elevation gain.
Why go
- Short route reaches the dramatic red walls of Red Cathedral
- Golden badlands and canyon walls provide strong scenery throughout
- Paved trailhead lot includes large bus/RV spaces and a vault toilet
Heads up
- Popular trailhead can be busy and parking can fill during peak periods
- Short ledges, low overhangs, and minor scrambling are required near the destination
Yes—this is a compact way to experience Golden Canyon’s badlands and reach the dramatic red rock of Red Cathedral without committing to the longer area circuits.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs It Worth It?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Death Valley map
Full mapElevation-157–383 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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 Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral, 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 trailhead
Golden Canyon's Famous Hike and Loop TrailListen
“Up ahead is the parking area for Golden Canyon, one of the park’s most popular hikes. The trail winds up through a narrow canyon with towering golden walls on both sides.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Gower Gulch: The Famous Loop's Finale
- Desolation Canyon: A Quieter Badlands Hike
- Zabriskie Point: A Famous View and a Trail into the Badlands
- The Historic Inn at Death Valley
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral
Route & What You’ll SeeFrom the Golden Canyon parking lot, the route climbs gradually through a rocky corridor framed…
From the Golden Canyon parking lot, the route climbs gradually through a rocky corridor framed by towering golden walls. The route finishes at Red Cathedral, where short ledges and low overhangs make minor rock scrambling necessary to complete the hike. The stored line represents the physical outbound corridor once; hikers return along the same route. This is the short Red Cathedral outing, not the longer Gower Gulch or Badlands circuit.
Trailhead & ParkingThe Golden Canyon Trailhead is on Badwater Road, 2 miles south of CA-190.
The Golden Canyon Trailhead is on Badwater Road, 2 miles south of CA-190. The paved parking lot has large spaces for buses and RVs, and a vault toilet is available at the lot.
Difficulty & SafetyMost of the route follows a gradual uphill canyon corridor, but the final sections require…
Most of the route follows a gradual uphill canyon corridor, but the final sections require hands-on movement over short ledges of up to about 4 feet (1.2 m) and under low overhangs. Carry water and sun protection: this is an exposed desert route with no water source along the trail. Expect company at this popular Death Valley hike.
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.
