Drive #19: Titus Canyon

Date Driven: 12/28/11

Length: 26.4 miles

My Drive Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (includes stops for lunch, exploring Leadfield, etc.)

Start: Hwy. 374 and Leadfield Rd, N36º 51.553′ W116º 50.766′

End: Titus Canyon Rd. and Scotty’s Castle Road, N36º 47.271′ W117º 11.489′’

GPS Track: GPX or KMZ format. (right click -> Save As)

Source(s): Is there a regional guidebook that doesn’t include Titus Canyon? It’s Tour 15 in California Desert Byways; Trail #1 in Guide to Southern California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails; Trail D40 in Backcountry Adventures Southern California; Excursion #17 in Death Valley SUV Trails; and Trip Route NC-5 in The Explorer’s Guide to Death Valley National Park. Also shown on the National Geographic map of Death Valley.

Summary: A classic and popular Death Valley offroad drive. Dusty desert roads, twisty and rocky mountain roads and narrow rock canyon. High clearance 4×4 highly recommended.

Description: We reached this Drive from inside Death Valley NP, after topping up our fuel at Stovepipe Wells. From there we drove east, eventually leaving the park and crossing the state line into Nevada. About 6-1/2 miles later, we reached the intersection with (dirt) Leadfield Road, pulled off the highway, and began this drive.

This drive is one-way only, east-to-west. It starts as wide, dusty desert dirt road until it reaches the hills. The road then narrows and gets rocky and rutted. As we rounded multiple blind corners were were suddenly very happy that it was one-way only! Typical to the Death Valley area, we were also surrounded by fantastic geology all around us.

After a time we reached the old ghost town of Leadfield. We explored the town, chatted with some other visitors and had a tailgate lunch break before continuing on. We dropped down into Titus Canyon area which starts off wide, but narrows and narrows until you finally exit the slot canyon on the west side. Here there is a parking area and vault restrooms, if memory serves. There are also hikers coming in from this side, so watch for them.

This being Death Valley, you’ll want to take full precautions here in terms of your vehicle, water, etc. It’s a well-traveled route so that’s a plus.

Here’s the blog post and the associated photo gallery from that day in Death Valley, including this Drive. And here’s a video clip from Titus Canyon:

Disclaimer – This information is provided from the best of my recollection and is necessarily subjective. GPS data is from a personal device inside my vehicle, so coordinates will not be exact. Typos are possible. Use of any of this information is at your own risk and responsibility – period. Conditions change (especially in winter), vehicles and driver skills vary, etc. and I have no control over these things. Don’t let anything written here override your own personal common sense or safety.