52 in 52, Episode 4: Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral, Death Valley National Park
Last Updated on February 11, 2022 by Polly Dimitrova
As our Death Valley National Park trip continued, so did our journey to complete 52 in 52! Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral was the first destination for our second day of exploring Death Valley National Park. As a 3-mile round-trip trail, we decided that this will be hike number Four of the 52 Hike Challenge!
I was inspired by the incredible photos of the massive red-rock formations at the end of the Golden Canyon Trail, so it was decided that we had to see them for ourselves. And so, that is the reason why we decided that we will take the Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral for our fourth hike of the 52 Hike Challenge. Keep reading if you are planning on taking this particular route as well, as I take you along this journey with us. As always, at the end you will also find a little added bonus of taking the off-the-beaten-path for even more awe-inspiring scenery!
Getting a Proper Start
Waking up early on the second day, I emerged out of our tent into the darkness before dawn, sleepily craving the compulsory cup of morning coffee. Desperately trying to keep myself warm, I started putting my beanie on and, when I looked up in front of me, I stood astonished by one of the most magnificent sunrises I have ever seen. A thin line of colours, burning in shades of yellow and orange, lighting the sky above the rocky mountain silhouettes! The slowly emerging sunlight was illuminating the fluffy clouds in red and pink. The campground was still and quiet as I took a seat in one of our camping chairs to savour the beauty of the rising sun – coffee could wait! We took the morning slow and spent time enjoying a hot breakfast while admiring the skyline. I knew it would be a good day – a morning like this could not disappoint!
Getting to Golden Canyon Trailhead
Situated just 4 miles away from Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Golden Canyon Trail is conveniently located for an early morning hike. Follow highway CA-190 for about a mile East, before taking a right along Badwater Basin Road. As this route takes tourists to the vast majority of popular sights across Death Valley National Park, you will be pleasantly surprised by the smooth paved road. Continue for another 2 miles, before reaching the small parking area to the left. The parking spots are not enough for the attention that the Golden Canyon Trail receives, so if you are not an early bird – be prepared to park along the main road.
When to Visit Golden Canyon Trail
If you have been following me for a while, you would have noticed that I am a huge believer in early morning hikes! The Golden Canyon Trail is not an exception – you want to start as early as possible to beat the crowds and avoid the heat! Especially during the warmer months. The trail might be following the bottom of the canyon, but you will still find yourself exposed to the direct sunlight for a big portion of the hike.
About the Trail
As a maze of narrow winding canyon slots, Golden Canyon offers hikers a wide list of trail options to choose from. Gower Gulch Loop, Badlands Loop and Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral are some of the most popular routes. Keep in mind though that the Badlands Loop starts from Zabriskie Point and not the trailhead along Badwater Basin Road.
As previously mentioned we decided on Golden Canyon Trail to Read Catherdral, so the information below will be about this particular route.
Distance: 3 miles round trip
Duration: 1.5 hours round trip
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
Access: Access is free once you have paid the $30.00 entrance fee to Death Valley National Park
Dogs: Not Allowed
Starting Point: 36.4207027, -116.8467738
A board map and a small trail sign mark the beginning of the Golden Canyon Trail at the end of the parking lot. The colorful canyon walls surround you immediately as you enter the trail. For this first short part, a wide and flat path will point you in the right direction. It takes just a few steps before the Red Cathedral comes into sight! It is still far in the distance but, peeking behind the golden canyon walls, it serves as a reminder and inspiration to keep up the pace!
One of my most essential hiking tips is to maintain a good steady pace, however, I would not blame you if you want to take this section of the trail a bit slow. Many would consider it a bit monotonous and not as exciting as what is to come, but it is a good spot to admire the incredible geological features. Even though the primary color is yellow, you are able to find shades of red, green, pink and brown layers in between the rock formations.
The canyon slowly starts to narrow while the path begins a steady incline and a section of remarkably-formed badlands follows next. Continue scrambling and climbing over the inclines as you gradually work up to the Red Cathedral. The last section requires a bit of squatting down and squeezing in between the canyon walls, but it is well worth it.
As you are standing at the bottom of the Red Cathedral, you would have a few options to choose from. Continue to the left to reach the base and admire the breathtaking views of the rock formations rising tall in the sky. A small path to the right, on other hand, will take you on a steady scramble before reaching the top of the cliffs. An awe-inspiring panoramic vista opens up before your eyes. While the Red Cathedral remains behind your back, a sea of undulating golden badlands will reward you for your efforts of hiking all the way through the canyon. As we were visiting during the winter, we caught sight of the snow-capped Telescope Peak as well. This jaw-dropping vista is not only the highlight of Golden Canyon, but also, in my opinion, the best in Death Valley National Park!
We definitely spent a few minutes just soaking in the spectacular views, but a winding narrow path along one of the mudstone cliffs kept catching our attention. It would not be a real hiking adventure for my husband and I if we do not follow a small footpath, with which we have absolutely no idea where it leads to! As we continued along this path, we were able to take a closer look at the smooth, wavy golden badlands lying in front of us. I kept taking glimpses behind my back as well, as the tremendous majesty of the Red Cathedral continued to loom behind us!
The path kept getting smaller and narrower until it almost disappeared, however, a small, steep cliff (with a path) is not something that would break our adventure souls! We kept following the way back down along the steep, crumbling terrain. We were lucky we had brought hiking poles with us on this hike since they absolutely came in handy as we made our way back down to the bottom of the canyon. I do not recommend this if you are not wearing good hiking shoes, have bad knees, or are uncertain on your feet!
Once we made it back to the bottom, we had to follow a narrow passage in between the canyon walls to the right before we made it back on the main trail. From here you can take the same way back to the parking lot.
Along the way back, we found a canyon slot that caught our attention and we took a little detour. We ventured away on our own little adventure once again for some more scrambling over more mudstone cliffs. These passages might not take you far, but they are interesting if you want to do a bit of climbing and exploring on your own!
The unique, unconventional beauty of Death Valley National Park kept astonishing me along the way. I had never even considered Death Valley to be high on my bucket list – though it convinced me I had it wrong. Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral was a true example of how extraordinary Death Valley is! Thanks for reading and be sure to come back next week where we explore our final hike of Death Valley: Darwin Falls! Keep following along for our journey to complete 52 in 52! In the meantime, you may also want to JOIN THE 52 HIKE CHALLENGE!
27 Comments
Sara Essop
I would love to do all 52 hikes if it means getting to see such beautiful places. The landscape looks amazing!
Polly Dimitrova
Yes, I am definitely hoping to get at least 52 hikes this year! 🙂
Caroline @ PackTheSuitcases
What a unique place – I’ve never been anywhere with that kind of terrain. Great post!
Polly Dimitrova
Yes, Death Valley has a very interesting and unique terrain. The craziest thing is that it keeps changing throughout the park. Definitely worth the visit!
Jen
This is great! I’ll be at DVNP next month and am going to check out all your posts on it. So excited to visit.
Polly Dimitrova
Ah that is super nice, Jen! Hope you find them useful and have fun! 🙂
Annie
This is such great info! Thanks for sharing!
Ophelie
The landscapes are so stunning: it looks like another planet! I would love to hike around here!
Polly Dimitrova
The landscapes were quite spectacular indeed and they kept changing throughout the park. Definitely worth the visit!
Tabitha
Death Valley is my favorite NP. Such an awesome landscape throughout the park. I didn’t do this hike, though! Thanks for all the information. I look forward to conquering this hike the next time I visit.
Polly Dimitrova
It is quite spectacular indeed. Definitely with the efforts if you go back.
Jenn
Gorgeous place to hike, and I appreciate the suggestion about hiking early in the morning – the few times I have done that in SoCal, the view and experience were so worthwhile! The sunrise shot is my favorite.
Polly Dimitrova
Yes, in SoCal during the warmer months you want to be out hiking as early as possible to beat the heat later on the day. Thank you, happy you liked it 🙂
Susanna
Woah, that sunrise is out of this world! Sunrises are so under-rated and you were right to leave the coffee until later – what a great moment. I’m also blown away by that geology during your hike at Golden Canyon Trail. Would love to see that in person
Polly Dimitrova
Yes, the sunrise was absolutely spectacular and coffee could wait. Yes, the geology was very impressive throughout the entire park
Krista
This is a stunning trail to go on! I love the colours of the rock formations – great place for photos too!
Polly Dimitrova
Yes, for sure! I had to keep reminding myself that I do not have to take a photo on every corner 😀
Helena
Love the 52 in 52 idea and also how amazing to camp here and wake up to that sky! Thank you for an informative post!
Polly Dimitrova
Thank you, Helena! Yes, the 52 in 52 series is going well so far. Fingers crossed that we will be able to complete the challenge 🙂
Chantelle
Death Valley has never been very high up on my to-do list, and I know it wasn’t on yours either, BUT your hikes have really made me want to go and check it out! It seems uniquely beautiful and so much fun to explore!
Polly Dimitrova
Yes, it really takes you by surprise with the continuously changing scenery!
Jamie Italiane
You two are making such good use of this national park. The hikes look perfect. How lucky you are that you two like to hike together.
Polly Dimitrova
Ahhahaha, yes, we are definitely lucky that we have very similar interests that all revolve around being out in nature and being active as much as possible 😀
Linda (LD Holland)
I would be inspired by the red rock formations on the Golden Canyon Trail too. That sunrise would certainly start my day perfectly. A great benefit of starting out early to get a parking spot. A view of those undulating golden badlands would certainly keep me hiking. Definitley some unconventional beauty!
Polly Dimitrova
It really is, Linda. I am happy that you liked the article 🙂
Josy A
Oh woooowza! Red Cathedral is my kind of church! What fantastic scenery!
It seems silly to call them badlands… with all that natural beauty they should rename them golden lands.
Polly Dimitrova
Ahahha yes, it is a bit funny that they are called badlands…. 😀