The spectacular Badlands Loop from Zabriskie Point

At the foothills of the Amargosa Range in Death Valley is Zabriskie Point, with the lookout offering some great views over the desert landscape. Two circular hikes take you into Amargosa Range: the Badlands Loop and the Golden Canyon Loop. (This is my first stop on my drive through Death Valley.)

Both the Badlands Loop and Golden Canyon Loop share the same trailhead, taking you into the desert landscape and through the gullies and gulches below Zabriskie Point.

I’m taking the shorter (2.7 miles / 4.3km) Badlands Loop, which gives you a great feeling for the dramatic landscape.

The hike, sign-posted by frequent arrows and easy to follow, heads down a narrow gully carved by infrequent (but heavy) rain to Zabriskie Point Junction.

From Zabriskie Point Junction the trail follows a much broader gully, which is a major artery of Gower Gulch, in a south-westerly direction.

After about 1.3 miles there’s a junction, which is also the lowest point of the Badlands Loop. Continue straight ahead down Gower Gulch (and back via Golden Canyon) to form a longer circuit. Or head back up a narrower gully to complete the shorter Badlands Loop, which is what I do (I’m doing the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction).

From the junction the track ascends from Gower Gulch, following the ridges of the hills. Looking much like sand dunes, you can almost visualise the ancient lake bed being folded and faulted into the irregular white hills that exist today.

This is the most spectacular part of the short loop: as the trail ascends along the ridges of the hills, you can see the rugged terrain, and the Panamint mountain range in the distance.

You can also see the distinct difference between the lighter hills formed from alluvial material from the lake bed, which is rich in borax, and the darker peaks formed by lava from eruptions that occurred 3-5 million years ago. (Borax, also known as white gold, was mined in the region in the 1880s and some many mines shafts remain, including several abandoned Borax mines along the Badlands Loop.)

Towards the end of the Loop, I can see Zabriskie Point in the distance (top right of the photo below) and the gully that leads back to the starting point.

Rather than following the marked track back, I head straight up one of the ridges that leads towards the lookout. It eventually becomes a rough track, obviously used by others to reach the Zabriskie Point lookout.

Accommodation near Badlands Loop

The closest accommodation to Death Valley National Park is at Panamint Springs (where I stayed) and Furnace Creek, near the Furnace Creek Visitor Centre. The Ranch at Death Valley is more affordable and offers a range of rooms, while the Inn at Death Valley has upmarket villas. 

The nearest town is Beatty, which is just outside the park and has a wide range of accommodation.

Booking.com

More information on Badlands Loop

• Falcon Guide, Hiking Death Valley National Park