Parking
Small gravel pullout on the left of Lake Hill Road about 5.75 miles from CA-190. The road has deep washes and sharp rocks; high clearance is required. No restroom at the pullout.
Overview
About Panamint Dunes
Panamint Dunes is an exposed, unmarked cross-country out-and-back to a remote field of white sand dunes in the northern Panamint Valley. The current National Park Service hiking listing gives this route as 8 miles round trip, 4–5 hours, and 1,028 feet of elevation gain. The stored line follows the representative corridor from the Lake Hill Road pullout to the highest-dune GPS point; the return is along the same physical corridor.
Why go
- Remote white dunes and expansive Panamint Valley views
- Exceptional solitude and dark-sky scenery
Heads up
- No maintained trail, shade, water, or restrooms
- Rough high-clearance access road and strenuous soft sand
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Death Valley map
Full mapElevation1,604–2,595 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 Panamint Dunes, 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.
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- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Trail guide
Hiking Panamint Dunes
Trail ExperienceThere is no maintained or signed trail.
There is no maintained or signed trail. The route crosses rocky desert and sandy flats, then climbs increasingly soft sand to the dunes and the tops of several dune ridges. The line is a navigation aid for the standard visitor experience, not a constructed path; route-finding can change with washes and shifting sand. Expect a strenuous finish and broad views across Panamint Valley and the surrounding mountains.
Access and ParkingThe unmarked route starts at a small gravel pullout on the left of Lake Hill Road, about 5.
The unmarked route starts at a small gravel pullout on the left of Lake Hill Road, about 5.75 miles after turning off CA-190. Lake Hill Road is rough, with deep washes and sharp rocks; high clearance is required for the trailhead approach. There is no restroom at the pullout or along the route; the nearest listed facilities are Panamint Springs Resort or Emigrant Canyon Rest Station.
Water, Safety, and LogisticsCarry all water and navigation equipment: there is no water, shade, cell service guarantee, or…
Carry all water and navigation equipment: there is no water, shade, cell service guarantee, or maintained trail. Heat can become life-threatening, and the sandy dunes are strenuous. Avoid summer heat, leave a route plan, carry a physical map/GPS backup, and be prepared for changing sand and rough access-road conditions. Dogs are not permitted on this route.
Route ConventionThis is an out-and-back.
This is an out-and-back. The stored geometry is the physical outbound corridor once, from the Lake Hill Road pullout to the highest-dune point; it is not duplicated in reverse. The visitor-facing 8-mile length is the total round-trip hiking distance published by NPS, rounded from the approximately 4-mile one-way excursion to the dune high point.
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.
