Death Valley Still Accessing and Cleaning up after Tropical Storm Hilary
Death Valley National Park – August 31, 2023 – August 20th Tropical Storm Hilary laid waste to the mountains and roadways in Death Valley National Park. The National Weather Service rain gauge at Furnace Creek measured 2.2 inches (55.9 mm) of rain Sunday, August 20, 2023, which exceeds the park’s annual average rainfall of 2.15 inches (54.6 mm) and set a new single-day rainfall record for Death Valley! The Park closed and immediately started evacuating guests that were in the park.
Last year, roads were heavily impacted, damaged, or closed following record rainfall in August; the current storm broke last year’s record. Although all paved roads were repaired from the 2022 flood damage, there is still a lot of work to be done in the backcountry and this latest storm caused significant additional damage.
According to the NPS website, all roads in Death Valley National Park received damage, including washouts, undermining the roadway and flooding.
Closures as of August 31, 2023:
PAVED ROADS
CLOSED:
- State Route 190 (access to Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells)
- Daylight Pass Rd, Beatty Cutoff Rd & Mud Canyon Rd
- Dantes View Road
- Badwater Road/CA 178 (access to Badwater Basin, Artists Drive, Devils Golfcourse, Natural Bridge, Golden Canyon)
- North Highway (Scotty’s Castle Rd) (access to Ubehebe Crater)
- Wildrose Rd/Emigrant Canyony Rd (access to Wildrose Charcoal Kilns)
- Bonnie Clare Road and Scotty’s Castle due to flood recovery work . Unlikely to open before late 2025.
UNPAVED/BACKCOUNTRY ROADS
Note that road closures listed below apply to ALL vehicles, including motorcycles and bicycles. The roads were completely washed out in places and entry will cause tire tracks and braided roads in wilderness as users try to locate what was once the road. Thank you for your patience as we work to reopen these locations.
Only major roads are listed for reference below, but ALL backcountry roads are closed.
CLOSED:
- Westside Road
- Upper Wildrose Road (above the Charcoal Kilns)
- Twenty Mule Team Canyon
- Mustard Canyon
- Keane Wonder Mine
- Saline Valley Road – Signed closed by Inyo County.
- Hunter Mountain – Signed closed by Inyo County.
- Salt Creek
- Titus Canyon Road – Flooding destroyed the road
- Steel Pass – Extensive flood damage. No timeline for reopening.
- Grotto Canyon
- Cottonwood/Marble Canyons – Due to flood damage
- Echo Canyon & Hole in the Wall
- Lemoigne Canyon – Due to flood damage
ROADS OUTSIDE THE PARK
- Inyo County: County road conditions
- Death Valley – Big Pine Road – CLOSED
- Trona Wildrose & Panamint Valley Road – CLOSED
- Caltrans: California Department of Transportation highway conditions
- Sierra Nevada Passes: CA120 (Tioga Pass), CA108 (Sonora Pass), CA4 (Ebbetts Pass), CA88 (Carson Pass)
- Nevada: Nevada Department of Transportation highway conditions
Trails
- Darwin Falls Trail– trail is washed out and no longer exists. Expect to hike through shallow water and scramble over rocks.
Campgrounds
CLOSED:
- Sunset, Texas Spring and Stovepipe Wells Campgrounds – Seasonal closure due to heat
- Furnace Creek, Emigrant, Wildrose, Mesquite Springs, Eureka Dunes Primitive, Thorndike Primitive, Mahogany Flat Primitive, Saline Valley Primitive and Homestake Primitive campgrounds are closed until further notice due to park closure and flood damage
Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions are in effect at Thorndike, Wildrose, and Mahogony Flats campgrounds from June 15 – September 15. No open flames are allowed, but controlled flame devices with shut off valves and gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel sources are allowed.
Visitor Centers
CLOSED:
- Furnace Creek Visitor Center
- Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station
