Hiking the Grotto Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park
Distance: 2.2 miles / 3.5 km
The Grotto Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park is a stunning but challenging day hike up one of the more advanced canyons in the park, largely due to a number of Class 3/ 4 climbing sections that must be navigated to safely traverse the narrow, winding canyon!
For this reason, I think it’s important to mention that the Grotto Canyon Trail is not a family-friendly adventure, like the Mosaic Canyon Trail up the road, which was true even before the historic Death Valley floods that occurred in August 2022.
However, after this unprecedented event, which the National Park Service called "an extremely rare, 1,000-year event," a large boulder fell and wedged itself just after the Grotto at the beginning of the canyon, making the initial climb up the trail much trickier than it had been prior to the flood.
This was true to the point that, on my last Death Valley visit, I didn’t feel comfortable as a solo hiker attempting the required moves—especially because I knew there was little chance of seeing another hiker, given that the road to the trailhead had not yet been repaired.
All this is to say that the information in this article is as up to date as possible, and I intend to return in late 2026 to give it another try!
Grotto Canyon Trailhead Parking
Following the historic August 2022 floods, Grotto Canyon Road has been repaired, though it does not get as close to the mouth of the canyon as it did prior to this event.
What this means today is that hikers can only drive part of the road that used to exist and are now required to hike an extra 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to reach the start of Grotto Canyon.
That said, these photos, taken prior to the road being repaired, are out of date and will be updated once I have the opportunity to return to Death Valley.
Google Maps Directions: Grotto Canyon Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Death Valley
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Death Valley National Park.
Hiking the Grotto Canyon Trail
This is where Grotto Canyon Road washed out and where the hike up Grotto Canyon begins today, at the newly designated trailhead.
Death Valley Wilderness Boundary
With about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) left before the start of the canyon, the Grotto Canyon Trail crosses the Death Valley Wilderness Boundary.
The Grotto
This is the entrance to the Grotto, the narrow, beautiful section at the very beginning of Grotto Canyon.
Grotto Canyon Rockfall
This large boulder is the Grotto Canyon rockfall that occurred during the August 2022 floods, making this second climb significantly more difficult than it had been prior to the event.
That said, the climb at the very beginning of Grotto Canyon is likely the end of the hike for most people, as scrambling up is much trickier and higher than this photo makes it appear.
I say this, and I’m 6'4".
If you want to attempt the climb, the only way up is through the gap to the left of the boulder.
If I had been hiking with friends, one of us would likely have had to lie flat on the upper ledge beneath the boulder, then carefully work across the ledge to get through the gap without falling—and trust me, it’s much more difficult than it looks and not something I could have easily done with a backpack on!
So, considering all my options and the risk involved, I decided to turn around, as I didn’t want to put myself in an awkward position some 10–15 ft. (3–4.6 m) above the ground without a friend to hike with.
