The Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral to Zabriskie Point to Gower Gulch loop hike is the 'best of' hike in Death Valley. It offers classic Death Valley geology, epic viewpoints, a dose of history, and enough mileage to make it a proper hike. If you are only doing one hike at Death Valley, this is the route to pick.
Heat has killed hikers on the Golden Canyon Trail. People who don't take Death Valley's conditions seriously die every summer. I'd give the hike a pass if the high temperature is above the 80F mark.
Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop Hike Trail Maps
Are you a Star Wars fan? Golden Canyon is where R2D2 got tased by Jawas in the first Star Wars movie.
Use the trail markers on this next section to find the correct path. There are dozens of markers between here and Zabriskie Point.
Manly Beacon is named after William L. Manly, who, in 1849, scouted a path out of this area for trapped pioneers. When they left this area behind, they allegedly looked back and said, "Goodbye, Death Valley" and that's how the area got its name.
Chris Zabriskie was a big wig at the Pacific Coast Borax Company, which mined borax throughout this area. Many of the geographic points around here are named after the companies executives.
Today most commercial borax comes from the mine in Boron, CA, or from mines in Turkey.
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When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.