Hiking the Grotto Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park
Distance: 2.2 miles / 3.5 km
Please shoot me an email if the information about this trail changes.
The Grotto Canyon Trail was a bit of a weird experience for me because I hiked the trail following the Death Valley floods of August 2022.
That said, I hiked into the Grotto Canyon from Hwy 190 in March 2023, and this post will likely be out of date when the road is finally repaired.
Additionally, Grotto Canyon is now an advanced trail that requires some climbing because of rockfall caused by the floods. As a solo hiker, I didn't feel comfortable making the required moves while being alone in the canyon, especially since there was no chance of encountering another hiker on any given day due to the washed-out road.
I will be back to complete the canyon in the future, but it’s a message for all to not put yourselves in a bad situation.
Grotto Canyon Trailhead Parking
[Current as of March 2023] - As a result of the floods, parking for the Grotto Canyon Trail is located just outside of Grotto Canyon Road along the side of Highway 190.
This will change when the road is repaired.
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.
Walking to the Trailhead [March 2023]
Since the walk to the trailhead is so exposed, I decided to do it well before sunrise to avoid the exposure.
This is where the road washed out.
Hiking the Grotto Canyon Trail
As far as I could tell, the original trailhead used to here at the federal wilderness boundary.
From the boundary, it’s only about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) of hiking to reach the Grotto.
The Grotto
This is the entrance for the Grotto, and it’s a small tight section that I imagine will get very busy once the road reopens.
That is, unless the Park Service does something about the rock that fell or installs a ladder. However, wilderness areas are designed to be preserved in their natural condition, so I doubt that would happen.
Grotto Canyon Rockfall
Following the August 2022 floods, this large boulder fell, making this climb significantly more difficult.
Whenever the road is fixed, I have to imagine that this climb will be the end of the hike for most people, which might make the Grotto overly crowded with people.
Know that this photo does a pretty bad job at showing how challenging and awkward this climb would be, which is why I chose to save it for another day when I come back with friends.
I’m 6’ 4”, and getting up on that first ledge from the rock on the ground is a small challenge. From there, the only way up is through the gap on the left of the boulder.
If I was with friends, one of us would have to lay flat somehow on the upper ledge beneath the boulder and then contort our body from the ledge and through the gap without falling. It’s much more difficult than it looks, and it’s not something that I could have done with a backpack on.
I didn’t want to leave it behind nor put myself in that awkward position 10-15 ft. (3-4.6 m) above the ground without support.
