Parking
Paved Harmony Borax Works parking area about 1 mile west of Furnace Creek on CA-190; large spaces accommodate RVs and buses. The closest restroom is at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center about 1 mile east.
Overview
About Harmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail
This short, paved 0.4-mile loop circles the preserved ruins of Harmony Borax Works, a historic borax-processing plant that operated from 1883 to 1888. Interpretive panels explain Death Valley borax, the Mule Skinner, life in Harmony, and the famous 20-Mule Teams. The easy loop takes about 30 minutes round trip and has about 50 feet of elevation gain.
Why go
- Interpretive panels explain the 20-Mule Teams and Death Valley borax history.
- Paved, easy loop makes this a convenient 30-minute stop.
- Large paved parking spaces accommodate RVs and buses.
Heads up
- No restrooms at the site.
- Little shade and intense desert heat can make even a short walk uncomfortable.
- Very short and history-focused rather than a longer wilderness hike.
A good choice for families, history enthusiasts, and anyone wanting a quick, easy introduction to Death Valley’s borax-mining history. Visitors seeking a strenuous or remote hike should choose another route.
Parkwolf’s verdictWho It’s ForMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Death Valley map
Full mapElevation-246–-236 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to visit
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 Harmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail, 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
Mustard Canyon Scenic DriveListen
“Right by the Harmony Borax Works, there’s a turnoff for a scenic drive called Mustard Canyon. This is a short, mellow, one-way unpaved loop that takes you right through some bright yellow badlands.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Harmony Borax Works: The 20-Mule Team Story
- Furnace Creek's Heat Engine
- Blink EV Chargers: A Crucial Stop for Electric Cars
- Furnace Creek Campground: The Park's Central Camp
- 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 Harmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail
What You’ll SeeThe compact loop passes historic plant and townsite remains and interpretive exhibits about the…
The compact loop passes historic plant and townsite remains and interpretive exhibits about the people, process, and mule teams that carried borax from Death Valley to market. It is a focused history stop rather than a long backcountry hike, with open desert and mountain views around the site.
Trail Surface and AccessibilityThe visitor route is a paved loop in a developed historic site.
The visitor route is a paved loop in a developed historic site. The existing pavement can be uneven or cracked in places, so use care with wheels and strollers and check the surface before relying on it for a mobility device.
Logistics and TipsUse the paved Harmony Borax Works parking area about 1 mile west of Furnace Creek on CA-190;…
Use the paved Harmony Borax Works parking area about 1 mile west of Furnace Creek on CA-190; the lot has large spaces for RVs and buses. There are no restrooms at the site; the closest restroom is at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center about 1 mile east. No pets are permitted on the Harmony Borax Works loop trail. Stay on the route, do not climb on the ruins, and do not disturb historic artifacts.
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.
