Highs and Lows of the Black Mountains

From the crest of the Black Mountains atop Coffin Peak unfolds a panorama never to be forgotten. A vertical mile down lies the lowest spot on the continent. Opposite the peak, across Death Valley, rise Telescope Peak and the snow-clad summits of the Panamints. Farther still, on the western horizon, loom the granite ramparts of the Sierra Nevada. North and south from Coffin Peak rises the Funeral Range. And from here, too, is the glimmer of that alkaline pool called Badwater--or is that just a mirage?

Along with spectacular views, Death Valley’s Black Mountains offer the hiker some colorful canyons to explore. These canyons are accessible from Badwater Road, the visitor-friendly park thoroughfare that extends from Furnace Creek Visitor Center to this North American low point.

Deeply eroded hills, a rainbow of color on the lower slopes of the Black Mountains and a twisted canyon so narrow that you can reach out and touch its wall are among the highlights of a walk to and through Desolation Canyon.

The canyon is isolated and austere in places, but no more desolate than any other in the rugged foothills south of Furnace Creek. Desolation, like the better-known Black Mountains canyons, offers a marvelous geology lesson to the willing walker.

A four-mile round-trip hike begins by following a broad alluvial fan, then penetrates narrow Desolation Canyon.

From the junction of California 190 and Badwater Road near the Furnace Creek Inn, take the latter road three miles and park across from the sign that says Desolation Canyon. This hike follows the dirt road heading east.

Natural Bridge is another fascinating landform at the base of the Black Mountains. A short path (half a mile round trip) offers hikers a little bit of southern Utah--an eroded canyon rim and a large natural bridge formation.

Long ago, water surged through a canyon wall, stripping away weaker strata and leaving behind a 50-foot-high rock bridge spanning the canyon.

Beyond the bridge, you can explore other water-cut formations--grottoes and benches, chutes and spillways. From Badwater Road, 15 miles south of Furnace Creek Visitors Center, follow the signed dirt road three miles to the Natural Bridge trail head.

Make no mistake: Dante’s View offers one of Death Valleys finest panoramas. Trouble is, you can drive to the viewpoint--and thousands of motorists do--meaning your chances for quiet contemplation of the desert below are about as slim as the possibility of rainfall.

For the hiker, there in an alternative: Coffin Peak, offering the same great view as Dante’s without the crowds. In conquering the 5,503-foot peak, the hiker will have the additional satisfaction of standing a smidgen higher than motorists atop 5,475-foot Dante’s View.

Hikers experienced with cross-country travel will be most comfortable with the trail-lean trek to Coffin Peak; however, the less experienced can set out with the assurance that this walk for the most part stays within sight of Dante’s View Road.

Directions to trail head: From Badwater Road/California 190 junction just south of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, drive 10.8 miles on 190 toward Death Valley Junction. Turn right on Dante’s View Road and continue 12.6 miles (O.6 mile short of Dante’s View). Turn left and park in the wide turnout, which has pit toilets and a picnic table.

The hike: From the picnic site, you’ll parallel Dante’s View Road and ascend a minor hill dotted with Mormon tea. Dodging spiny shrubs, follow the ridge crest as it bends southeast and climbs to the top of a 5,360-foot hill.

You’ll continue east among handsome desert varnish-stained boulders, savoring the valley views. Topping another hill, you descend a short distance northeastward to a saddle, then climb again to Peak 5484. Follow the crest south, then east, toward the conical summit of Coffin Peak.

Your view encompasses the Black Mountains, south and north, the Funeral Mountains to the northeast, and the Greenwater Valley, green indeed with creosote, to the southeast. The shimmering valley floor backed by the high Panamint Mountains to the west, completes the panorama.

Well, not quite. Just to the northwest is Dante’s View, swarming with sightseers. After enjoying the view, return the way you came.

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Coffin Peak Trail

WHERE: Death Valley National Park.

DISTANCE: From picnic area below Dante’s View to Coffin Peak is 2.5 miles with 300-foot elevation gain.

TERRAIN: Mile-high Black Mountains on southeast boundary of national park.

HIGHLIGHTS: Same panorama as Dante’s View without the crowds.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Moderate

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, CA 92338; tel. (619) 786-2331.