The highlight of our fourth and final day in Death Valley was hiking with our headlamps, at high noon, into the near-darkness of a deep slot canyon within Sidewinder Canyon.
- Located in Death Valley, Sidewinder Canyon is a great place to explore while also getting a good hike in to exercise on a nice day.
- Home / Activities / Parks & Nature / National Forests / Ozark / Waterfalls. Ozark National Forest Waterfalls. If you get the chance to get out into the Ozarks during the rainy season, you will be rewarded with hundreds and hundreds of waterfalls.
Go about 35 miles down Alamo Rd before you turn to see the majestic slot canyon. The canyon itself is narrow and twisty in spots. It is amazing how the desert terrain changes a lot along the way. Description This trail can be taken in either direction. Starting on the southern end will allow for a net-downhill outing though, which makes the going slightly easier. Multiple 4WD roads intersect sidewinder allowing you to complete this long trail in segments or stash water/food along the way, so you don't need to carry as much. The winding trail cliffs out above a dry falls in a side canyon above The Slot. The correct route is the narrow steep-looking track that drops right off the rim of the ravine, straight ahead from the parking area. Slowly descend into the trench. The trail is steep, but not nearly as steep as it looks from above, dropping less than fifty feet.
We woke up on Hanaupah Canyon Road at first light and watched the sunrise for awhile from inside the car. There was a steady breeze blowing down the big valley and it was a bit cold. We decided to find sheltered spot to fire up the stove for breakfast, and drove down to Shorty’s Well, but there weren’t any good spots. And no well, either. So we got back in the car and kept driving.
Windy sunrise panorama video from our campsite
We blasted north on the West Side Road and had fun creating huge clouds of dust along the way. It was a great road to drive on. There were lots of high clouds forming in the sky, and the photography became better.
The road turned northeast and crossed the salt flats of Death Valley. The only plant that can grow down there is the aptly named Pickleweed, which can tolerate the exceptionally briny conditions. Life always finds a way to adapt. We parked at a turnout near the low point of the valley and checked out what looked to be a river of solid salt. I have a feeling that this was why they called it Death Valley. Even the pickleweed wouldn’t grow down there.
We hung a left and headed to Furnace Creek to top up our gas. We almost drove away hungry, but luckily remembered about the meal we put off due to wind. So we found a nearby parking spot that was sheltered by some large bushes and sat down at a picnic table. Civilized dining. We got out the stove and cooked some breakfast. Our stomachs really appreciated it. We were in much better moods after that. Cars and people both need fuel.
Then it was time to head south on Highway 178 for about 40 miles or so. We passed the sites we’d explored on our first day in the park: Artist’s Drive, Natural Bridge, and Badwater. Then I got out the GPS and navigated so we wouldn’t drive past the canyon like we did that first day.
In typical Death Valley style, a truly great spot was announced with a tiny sign and little fanfare. But the road was properly plowed, at least, and that’s also part of their style. We drove up the sandy road and parked in the relatively large dirt lot. At this point there were no signs whatsoever stating which of the canyons in front of us was Sidewinder Canyon. I hate to say it, but this was also their style. Luckily, we had gotten good directions from the interpretive ranger at the Furnace Creek Visitors Center. She knew what we wanted to see, and warned us not to take the obvious canyon directly in front of us. The one we wanted was over on the right side.
We parked the car and prepared our daypack with snacks, lunch, and plenty of water. It was looking to be a hot day, so we made sure to dress for the heat. There was only one other car in the parking lot, and it appeared that they had headed up the leftmost canyon. It looked like we would have Sidewinder Canyon all to ourselves! For a short time, anyway. Maybe keeping this area low-profile and poorly signed is a wise move on the park’s part, after all.
The trail up the sloping alluvial fan was fairly obvious and easy to follow. It went uphill, of course, and soon we were sweating. But that’s OK, as they say, because “it’s a dry heat.” We’re not sure if we agree entirely, although a muggy heat would undoubtedly be worse. Just the same, it was warm in the sun, and we were thankful for the breeze at our backs as we entered the canyon itself.
We decided to go directly to the second side canyon, because that was supposed to be the one with the headlamps and darkness. Of course, the canyons weren’t marked with signs of any kind. Luckily, I had my smartphone with the Gaia GPS app running, and I had pre-downloaded the Open Cycle Map layer. The three side trails were shown on that map. So we hoped the map was correct and headed for slot canyon number two.
And it was correct! But deceptively so. When we followed the canyon off to the right, it didn’t go very deep, and it never got dark. In fact, it was barely worthy of the name “slot.” So we came back out and checked the GPS. The trail on the GPS led to the left, not the right. But when we looked, there was only a pile of giant stone blocks on the left. It was a dead end. Or so we thought. Luckily, Vicki doesn’t give up easily, and she wormed her way under those chockstones and discovered that the canyon became more normal after that initial section. She had me pass her my backpack, and I crawled in, as well. NOTE: If you are obese, don’t bother trying to get through. But for everyone else, believe me, you really want to get in there. The slot canyon turned out to be excellent!
GoPro video of me scrambling through the narrow passage
After getting through, we readied our headlamps and proceeded up the canyon. Initially, it was a typical slot canyon experience, with tall, high walls and a narrow, sinuous passage. That alone was worth the scramble under the chockstones. But soon enough, the passage got deeper and darker. Apparently, sometime in the distant past, a significant section of earth up above us had slumped down and completely blocked the sunlight from entering, so that the canyon was quite dark. Headlamps were truly needed, and it was high noon! We were laughing and giggling as we hiked down what had now become a winding cave. It broke out into even more slot canyon fun, and we explored onwards until we reached a point where there was a steep headwall, or dryfall. At that point, we decided not to risk an injury by going any further. And then we got to hike back out through the darkness once more. It was great, and if we visit Death Valley in the future we will certainly make sure that we visit this canyon again.
Video as I hike into Slot Canyon Two in Sidewinder Canyon
We snuck back out through the chockstones and entered the main Sidewinder Canyon once again. We turned right, and headed uphill to check out the third side trail, which also was a slot canyon. And it was very long. It didn’t get dark, but it was still a lot of fun to hike through.
As we came back down, we heard some voices echoing in the distance. Soon, we met with two men who were also enjoying the canyon. We stopped and told them how to find slot canyon two, and how to recognize the chockstones. I stood back and looked at them with a discerning eye. They were both big guys, each with the moderate paunch of a thirty-something ex-athlete who enjoys his food and drinks a bit of beer now and then.
“Hmmm,” I said to them. “Yeah, you’ll probably be able to make it through the squeeze”
“Hey!” they both exclaimed in mock outrage, comically sucking in their guts. “We’re not that fat!”
We all had a good laugh, and then Vicki and I headed back out to the main canyon. We both hoped that the two of them made it through to the second canyon, but we never did find out.
LONG GoPro video as we hike up Slot Canyon Three
For the sake of completion, Vicki wanted to head a bit further up the big wash, and so we did, but not all that much further. It was getting quite hot in the sun by this time, and if there were no more slot canyons up ahead, then what was the point? So we turned around and headed all the way back down to slot canyon one.
It turned out to be pretty fun, as well, although by this point in the day we were getting used to these slot canyons, and they were beginning to lose their novelty. How quickly the amazing becomes the usual. Probably the best thing about this one was that it was cool and shady way down in the slot. And when we came back out and stood near the mouth of it, the desert breeze was running strong, and cooled us off wonderfully.
After that, it was simply a matter of walking downhill the rest of the way to the car. It was hot, but the breeze continued blowing and the high clouds helped obscure some of the heat from the sun. We love that easy downhill hiking, and before we knew it, our day’s adventure was over.
It was still only early afternoon, but we knew that we had a very long drive ahead of us to get back to San Diego. And it didn’t help that this was Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, We knew that traffic would be horrible, but we also didn’t feel like waiting until after dark and getting home by midnight. We might as well join the throng, we decided. But at least we’d be able to spend the first part of the drive on the lonely roads of Death Valley National Park.
As always, we spoke to each other about the trip as we drove home. Both of us felt good about it. We were happy that the Rav4 we rented had performed well on the dirt roads and also that we were able to sleep in it comfortably. I was almost certain to buy one of these within the next year. In that respect alone the trip was a success. Meanwhile, the park itself was beautiful, and we lucked out with some fine weather conditions. Activity-wise, we explored some great places, learned some interesting history, and saw some amazing scenery. We’d hiked up high at 9000 feet in the snow, and roasted in the sun down below sea level. We saw some volcanic craters, vast sand dunes, high mountains, barren salt flats, and narrow slot canyons. Death Valley was truly an excellent place to visit.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
| Sidewinder Trail Includes Precipice Trail The Sidewinder Trail is a short but fun upper-intermediate singletrack in the Santa Clara River Preserve. It forks off the Barrel Roll trail. The Precipice Trail is a short (0.8) mile connector between the Cove Wash trailhead and the beginning of the Sidewinder (see below). View north as Bruce skirts the cliff edge on a smoother stretch of Sidewinder. Photos and original review April 14, 2009 by Bruce. Latest update March 2017. |
The trail is shaped like a lariat, with a small loop at the summit. The name Sidewinder comes from the trail's shape -- it has a zigzag shape like a snake's body, with the small loop forming the head. Out-and-back from its origin on Barrel Roll, the Sidewinder trail is 3.0 miles. Connecting via the shortest route from the trailhead, the total ride will be 4.8 miles. As the trail zigs back to the south side of the ridge, we get this alternate view. |
| The pitch of the trail is fairly pleasant. But it's a bit steeper than Barrel Roll, rising 350 feet over a mile. Total climbing will be 500 feet for a ride from the Cove Wash trailhead via Barrel Roll, up Sidewinder, and back down. Sidewinder's resident gila monster. Photo swiped from Neil, April 2011. Haven't seen a real sidewinder here yet. |
| Because the trail goes back and forth between the north and south sides of the mesa, there will be frequent pretty views. To the north are Ivins, the red cliffs near Snow Canyon, and the Pine Valley Mountains. Looking east downhill, you see Green Valley and Black Hill. On the south rim are views of the mesas and badlands of the Stucki Springs area. As we climb higher, we can see over the mesa to the north. There's Ivins, then Snow Canyon, then the white cliffs above the highway, then the Pine Valley Mountains. At the left side of the mesa, you can just make out the curved streak of the west end of the Barrel Roll trail. |
| The trail has more technical features than Barrel Roll. Most won't slow down a skilled rider. At the top of the loop, there's a fairly gnarly steep turn on rock near the cliff edge that's tricky in either direction. Most of the trail, though, is straight-ahead cranking on smooth narrow singletrack. Bruce fights through an area of technical rock in March 2017. |
| The loop at the top -- the sidewinder's head in snake terms -- is best done counterclockwise. There's a steep '90-degrees plus a ledge' feature that's hard to clear when done uphill in the clockwise direction. Gene Poncelet reaches the loop fork at the top of Sidewinder in February 2011. |
Sidewinder Slot Canyon
| On the south side of Sidewinder's loop is the connection to the Suicidal Tendencies trail. This has become a popular ride, but it's not to be taken lightly. If you add this option, your climbing will be 1500 vertical feet and your distance 13 miles. And the riding gets even more techy. Rolling one of the many turns on Sidewinder. |
A trail video of the Sidewinder ride... |
If the above video does not appear on your browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking here. |
| Jackie demonstrates the path over the boulders. Very do-able, but will stop an intermediate rider. | View from the top, looking over the badlands toward the north and the Santa Clara River. |
| Precipice Trail The Precipice Trail is a 0.8 mile trail from Barrel Roll to the Sidewinder Trail. It's my favorite route to Sidewinder. It forks left from Barrel Roll about 100 feet from the Cove Wash trailhead, then joins Sidewinder about 100 feet from its origin off the south side of the Barrel Roll loop. Bruce cruises outbound from the Cove Wash trailhead on Precipice. |
| Precipice is a bit more technical than Barrel Roll. There are some tight steep-ish turns and a bit of rock banging. There's a section with steep side-slope. The trail follows the same general westward course as clockwise Barrel Roll. But instead of climbing the smoother terrain on top of the hill, it navigates between two rows of rock outcrops below the top cliff-line. Climbing into a couple of tight rock slots on the steep sidehill. |
| When you reach the Sidewinder trail fork, go left to climb Sidewinder. (Or right then left to ride Barrel Roll clockwise.) By using the Precipice trail for your climb and descent, is makes a nice Sidewinder five-mile out-and-back from the trailhead. Ride Precipice to Sidewinder, loop around the end, then head back the way you came, saving Barrel Roll for your next ride. Bruce rails one of several semi-tough uphill turns on Precipice. |
Bottom Line: And if you're looking for more rocky stuff, the Rim Rock Trail system is just south of Cove Wash. The trail descends past oddly-shaped boulders. This is the same Shinarump layer found on the Zen Trail and at Gooseberry Mesa and Little Creek. |
| Riding notes, out-and-back Sidewinder: 0.0 Start on Barrel Roll Tr N37 07.250 W113 40.503 Take L fork of Barrel Roll loop - or - Fork L to Precipice ( if finished) 0.9 Fork L for Sidewinder if on Barrel Roll N37 07.404 W113 41.157 0.95 Pass Precipice if coming from Barrel Roll (Keep R if already on Sidewinder) | If on Precipice, fork L on Sidewinder N37 07.384 W113 41.154 2.4 At loop, pick a direction N37 07.336 W113 41.787 2.7 Finish loop, descend 4.0 If Precipice is finished, fork R N37 07.384 W113 41.154 If not, ride 60 ft, R on Barrel Roll 4.8 Back at parking |
Sidewinder Slot Canyon
| Getting there: In St. George, head north on Bluff Street and turn left on Sunset Blvd. Drive 3 miles west on Sunset through Santa Clara. As you're reaching the end of Santa Clara, look for a road crossing the river on your left. It's about 200 feet before the Jacob Hamblin Home (which will be on your right if you pass the turn). Turn and cross the river and follow the road as it turns right. About 0.4 miles from Hwy 191 (just after the road veers right), turn left uphill onto the dirt Stucki Springs road. |
Sidewinder Slot Canyons
| At mile 0.7, turn right at the sign 'Santa Clara Preserve' or 'Cove Wash Trailhead.' Pass the water tank, and at mile 1.3, turn right again through the fence toward the trailhead. This road will veer left to a log fenced parking area at mile 1.5, N37 07.253 W113 40.508. Connecting by bike from Green Valley (5 track options): GPX There's a singletrack trail you can ride from the valley to the trailhead. After crossing the river and following the road as it turns right, pass the dirt Stucki Springs road. About 100 feet past the road, a doubletrack heads obliquely westward uphill on the left, turning quickly into singletrack heading up along the wash. at about 1/3 mile, keep R at the fork (L rejoins the road). The trail will climb up and west of the water tank, then join the road right at the fence of the preserve. |
| Riding resources for this trail: Single-page riding guide GPS track files (right-click and 'Save as...'): GPX sidewinder onlyRide w B.R. up, SW, down Precipice Area multi-track fileMap datum WGS 84 St.George southwest, interactive map: Load Wider-area topo for printing: View full area topoSmaller map Lodging, camping, shops: Links to St. George area resources | Copyright 2009 Mad Scientist Software Inc |