This is a fairly easy hike with a slight uphill grade the entire way to the "Cathedral." Once there and if able, keep hiking up a very short hill to your left and, in about 50 feet, you'll stand atop a hill with an incredible vista to Death Valley.The hike back to the parking lot will be very easy and fast, since it will be slightly downhill all the way.
We got to the trail head with a little under two hours of daylight left. The trail to the Cathedral was well marked and gave us a chance to climb a little, especially at the end. There are points where it was sunny and points where it was shady. The setting sun shone on the canyon walls, creating a beautiful display of light and shadows.
This was a little difficult to find. The road is a bit rough, but worth the drive. The rocks are brilliant yellow, with salt and borax growing out of the rocks. Very interesting.
This is a hike that is nothing but hot in the mid afternoon. Most of the markers are gone so it's hard to judge the distance. We did the extra 'quarter mile' at the end to the wall of the cliff. I wouldn't do it again. That last bit seems much more than 1/4 mile and it's not that exciting. The main hike up the canyon is good.
Golden Canyon is one of the best hiking areas in Death Valley and can get crowded late morning. The hike starts out easy and continues that way following it up onto the trail to Red Cathedral. You will reach a point on the trail to Red Cathedral that the trail narrows down considerably and it takes some scrambling up small dryfalls to reach the end. Reversing the route, work your way back down the canyon to the Gower Gulch Loop trail intersection. If you decide to hike the four mile Gower Gulch back to the Golden Canyon trail head, be prepared for a VERY steep climb for about a half mile and some dryfalls to work down or around. I would rate this as a moderate hike, but beautiful in scenery. There are blocked off mine shafts back here and all sorts of cool geological attractions that you'll want to photograph. This is an excellent hike especially in winter and early spring. Highly suggested!
We almost passed on this hike and it would have been a big mistake. This is marked as one of the most popular hikes in the park and it is fantastic! The canyon is full of fabulous colors and rock formations with each turn and twist. The path is wide and shortly into the hike you can view the Red Cathedral which looks exactly like a cathedral. Continuing up the canyon it becomes a hand and feet hike though small openings climbing to the top. Quite fun and really not that difficult if you have a little agility! A beautiful photographic spot - fantastic hike!
Very pretty, though busy as a tourist attraction, would have preferred a more remote spot. Wear sunscreen, because even in February the sun is hot on the rocks!
The Golden Canyon trail is a mile into the sloping hills, slick rock and cliffs on the East side of Death Valley. It starts as a narrow and winding slot canyon that climbs to reveal many different colors and textures of rock formations. After a mile and a quarter it dead ends at the base of soaring red cliffs. The ever-changing views back toward the West are fantastic.Can be combined with the 3 mile Gowen Gulch loop to climb even higher and experience even more and different perspectives.Both the shorter and longer versions should be doable for anyone in moderate shape. You can always turn around at any point and return to the parking lot.
Beautiful canyon, easy walk. It is about a mile and a half to the red amphitheater which is worth seeing. At the end of the trail you can scramble up two different ways to get a great view all the way back to the valley. Keep in mind that it is always easier scrambling up a steep slope than going back down. I got myself in a situation where I had to get back down a slippery, near vertical slope ( only about 20 feet, but there was a long drop about six inches to my left).
This is the best hiking trail in Death Valley. After parking your car in the parking lot, you enter a canyon with an easy hike for about a mile. The trail then winds uphill in a narrow path bordered by the mountain on one side and a very steep slope on the other. If you can finish this part, you will enter a long and wide canyon in which you will experiene absolute silence, save the sound of your footsteps. It is an incredible experience.