#5 of 36 trails in Death Valley
Death Valley National Park, CA · NV
Easy desert walk into Titus Canyon’s narrowest limestone walls.
Overview
Titus Canyon Narrows is a short, scenic desert walk into the narrowest western section of Titus Canyon. Towering limestone walls and changing light make the canyon the destination; the route is a rough road and wash rather than a signed, developed 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 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
Start at the Titus Canyon Narrows Trailhead and walk east/up-canyon on Titus Canyon Road for about 1.5 miles to the turnaround in the narrows, then return the same way. The 3.0-mile length is the total out-and-back distance; the stored line represents the physical corridor once, from the primary trailhead to the turnaround. The route is mostly level but uneven, with gravel, sand, and small cobbles.
The canyon begins broad and tightens into dramatic, shaded narrows within the first quarter mile. Bighorn sheep may be seen farther up-canyon, but wildlife is never guaranteed.
The trailhead is reached by a roughly 2.8-mile bumpy gravel approach from Scotty’s Castle Road. The National Park Service describes the west end as a short two-way section that gives hikers access to the narrows; the main Titus Canyon Road is one-way from the east. When the road is open, vehicles may share the corridor. There are no services or reliable water along the route. Check current Death Valley road conditions before driving because Titus Canyon Road can close for repairs, washouts, mud, storms, or flash-flood risk.
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
ModerateFall Canyon Trail6.1 mi · 3.5 hr · At the trailheadRemote, unmaintained out-and-back into colorful Fall Canyon narrows from the Titus Canyon trailhead.
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 · 14.8 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.
