West Side Road - Death Valley National Park

4/5 (13 reviews)
Don't be fooled by the easy 4x4 trail rating, this Death Valley National Park backcountry route has a history of being deadly for the unprepared. Almost every year some unfortunate gets stuck, breaks down, and in some cases just wander off and perish along this road. This 37-mile backcountry ro... Read More
Start 7-Day Free Trial
All-Access Icon
West Side Road - Death Valley National Park is an All-Access Member Only trail guide. You'll need to start a 7-Day Free Trial to see this guide.

Highlights of West Side Road - Death Valley National Park

Altitude Category Icon Altitude
Desert Category Icon Desert
Iconic Category Icon Iconic
Mine Category Icon Mine
Sand Category Icon Sand
Scenic Category Icon Scenic
Highest Elevation
-54 ft
Shape of Trail
Straight Through
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
N/A
Official Trail Name
West Side Road
Nearest Town
Furnace Creek
Nearest Services
Furnace Creek
Management Agency
Death Valley National Park
District

Overview

Don't be fooled by the easy 4x4 trail rating, this Death Valley National Park backcountry route has a history of being deadly for the unprepared. Almost every year some unfortunate gets stuck, breaks down, and in some cases just wander off and perish along this road. This 37-mile backcountry route runs below sea level for its entire length. It was the original route of the 20 Mule Team Borax wagons out of Death Valley and offers the only access to the east side of the Panamint Mountains south of Furnace Creek. Along the route, mining was active at the Queen of Sheba mine as recently as 1970, Hungry Bill had a small farm and mining operation in Johnson Canyon that he supplied miners with fresh vegetables. The infamous Charles Manson and his followers were captured at Barker Ranch which is on the west side of the Panamint Mountains and accessible from the Butte Valley Road that intersects West Side Road. Death Valley Shorty, a former Buffalo Bill Wild West Show performer and famous flim-flam man for which Scotty's Castle is named, is buried along the road. There are the remains of old borax works and the nearly impassable Devil's Golf Course geologic formation is comprised of evaporated salt.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Guide Overview
12 Waypoints
38 Trail Photos
2 Trail Concerns
13 Community Reviews
1 Video
Trail Tools
App Store Icon Open in App
Gaia GPS Icon Upload to Gaia GPS
Download GPX
Directions to...
Share Trail
Print Trail

Start a 7-Day Free Trial and Unlock 5,000+ Trail Guides

3000+ Detailed Trail Guides
2000+ Member Only Scout Routes
Companion App with Offline Use
New Tracks Added Weekly
Download GPX Files and Print Guides
Access to Trail Guide Writer
What makes our Trail Guides so great?

Sign Up for Free to Get a Taste of Adventure

Free Members get 205 introductory guides to explore. Upgrade to an All-Access Membership for 5,000+ trails at your fingertips.
Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial