📍 Out and Back Route | 3.2 km | 205 m Elevation | ~1 hour
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lush, unexpected, and just chaotic enough to keep us entertained: bonus points for the squelchy-shoe soundtrack.
Death Valley National Park is hot, dry, sandy, and absolutely spectacular. It’s also one of the last places you’d expect to stumble across a waterfall, which makes Darwin Falls feel a bit like a desert plot twist we didn’t see coming.
A quick PSA: the road into Darwin Falls was badly damaged by a 2023 storm and is officially closed until at least 2026. That means you’ll need to leave your car on Highway 190 and tack an extra 3 km (each way) onto your hike. When we went, pre-storm, the road was already bumpy enough to make our rental car vibrate like a carnival ride, so honestly, the forced walk might not be the worst thing.
The trail itself begins innocently enough: flat, sandy, and friendly. You stroll along thinking, Wow, this is easy, maybe we’ll stay clean for once. But then the canyon narrows, green foliage suddenly appears (a rare treat in Death Valley), and the path winds alongside a trickling stream. Cue the fun.
There are multiple stream crossings, patches of standing water, and the final stretch turns into more of a rocky scramble than a trail. In true us-fashion, we managed several spectacularly wobbly landings while boulder-hopping, so by the time we arrived at the falls most of us were already squelching in soggy shoes. There is even a section where you need to pull yourself up a small boulder using a rather shabby looking rope – just our style of fun!
And the falls themselves? They’re modest, maybe even unremarkable, until you remember you’re standing in the driest, hottest place in North America. That contrast alone makes them feel magical. There’s a clear pool at the base, but don’t dive in: it’s a protected water source for Panamint Springs Resort.
In the end, Darwin Falls was a perfect little detour: surprising, refreshing, and totally unlike the rest of Death Valley’s dramatic desert landscapes. Four stars from us, damp shoes included.
🥾 Hike At-a-Glance: Darwin Falls
- Route Type: Out and Back
- Distance: 3.2 km (plus 6 km round trip if road closure is in effect)
- Elevation Gain: 205 m
- Time: ~1 hour (longer if you start from Highway 190)
- Highlights: A rare waterfall in the desert, lush canyon foliage, stream crossings, rocky scramble
- Watch Out For: Wet shoes, bumpy road, and the urge to jump in the pool (don’t!)
🧳 Packing List
- 🎒 Daypack
- 💧 Water bottle or hydration pack
- ⛑ First aid kit
- 🧢 Hat & 🕶 Sunglasses
- 🌧 Rain jacket
- 🧥 Warm top/layers
- 🧦 Hiking socks (plus some extra to change into after the hike)
- 👟 Proper boots/shoes
- 🍫 Snacks
Go Together Life 
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