This is a pleasant walk among picturesque sand dunes in the Death Valley Wilderness Area. 190 or from the unpaved Sand Dunes Road. It was quite chilly when we visited the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are located off the unpaved Sand Dunes Road and accessed from Highway 190. Early risers witness the surrounding mountains set ablaze with the rising sun. No permits are required for day hiking in Death Valley National Park. Next time I'm bringing snow sleds and sliding down some of the steep hills! There are no crowds, and the dunes are covered in fresh tracks from the previous night’s animal activity. If high winds are present, moving sand can be quite stinging and make hiking the dunes less enjoyable. Other filming locations include Artist Drive, Dante’s View, Desolation Canyon, and Golden Canyon. Backcountry camping permits are voluntary and may be obtained at the Visitor Center or any Ranger Station. See if you can spot the three main dune shapes—crescent, linear and star—as you explore the area. Weather - Map - … This is a 2.4 mile loop hike with 500 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Frolic among the dunes at Mesquite Flat Nothing makes a better introduction to Death Valley than a visit to the 100-foot-high Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: Worth a hike across the dunes - See 1,181 traveller reviews, 1,087 candid photos, and great deals for Death Valley National Park, CA, at Tripadvisor. Castles in Death Valley National Park; Ghost Towns in Death Valley National Park The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from November until March. After romping in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, take a walk on some of these other great nearby trails. Sand filled my shoes within 7 minutes through the “breathable” areas of my sneakers. Mosaic Canyon is a perfect hike for families and seasoned desert hikers alike. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Trail est un sentier aller-retour de 2.8 miles très fréquenté situé près de Death Valley, Californie. Read more about a guided Death Valley National Park backpacking trip. There is no defined trail. At 600 feet deep and one half mile across, Ubehebe is the largest of a series of craters that pockmark the area. Endless pink sand dunes. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from November until March. If you’re going on a backpacking trip, you can read about more about the 7 Leave No Trace Principles. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Trail is a 2.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Death Valley, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. From Stovepipe Wells, the parking area is 2 miles east on CA-190 on the left. The dunes reach about 100 feet high and are impressive just from the parking lot, but I highly recommend taking a hike out onto the rippled dunes to truly experience the dunes up close. Instead you may park along the shoulders of Highway 190 and improvise your own route into this remarkable 14 square mile landscape. While the sand dunes appear tall, the highest dune only rises about 100 feet. Bring a sled or sandboard and shred the steeper dunes or hike by the light of the full moon. And if you plan your visit early or late in the day, it will be even better. Wet boots and sand can make the smoothly polished rock scrambles quite treacherous. https://wildlandtrekking.com/blog/mesquite-flat-sand-dunes-trail Sunsets can also be an awe-inspiring experience when viewed from the dunes. The single entrance will be on the right. Hiking trip report, map, and photos for Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, located in Death Valley National Park, California. Many directions to explore the dunes. This would be the start of a fruitful business relationship for the two. Tips before you go for summer, winter, fall, spring. Sliding down the sand dunes is pretty fun too :). You can walk out however far you want. All Content & Photos Copyrighted by WTC © 2021, We strongly recommend abiding by all Leave No Trace ethics guidelines and practices so that our national parks and public lands are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations and for the people and animals who call these places home. The absolute best time to go is sunrise. Went about 30 minutes before sunset but didn’t consider how early the light would disappear since the sun sets behind the mountains; had literally a few seconds of light on the dunes so go a full hour before ideally. Three types of dunes are found in the dune field: crescent, linear, and star shaped. The other four, Panamint, Ibex, Saline Valley, and Eureka, are either too far out of the way for most visitors or are difficult to access. This spring-fed stream is the water source for the nearby hamlet of Panamint Springs. These aren't Death Valley’s tallest sand dunes (those are the Eureka Dunes, … Try going in the late afternoon when the sun hits the dunes, at sunrise for dramatic lighting, or stay until the stars come out. Avoid hiking the dunes in the summer and during the middle of the day. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Length: 2 miles (3.2km) round trip out and back Time: 1.5 hours round trip Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Elevation Gain: 185 ft (65m) Location: Located in Stovepipe Wells Village 30 minutes (24mi/39km) west of Furnace Creek. The hike begins like many others, in a gravelly, barren wash typical of Death Valley’s bone-dry landscape. Of the five major sand dune areas in Death Valley National Park, Mesquite Flat is one of the smallest and most accessible. There isn’t really a trail you can just walk out to whatever dunes you want. From Furnace Creek, take CA-190 W 23.1 miles to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes parking area. Depending on your own pace and fitness level, the total hike could be anywhere from 2-4 hours. 4025 East Huntington, Suite 150 If you walk about a mile in it’s less crowded. A perch atop the tallest dune, at over 200 feet high, is a sublime place to watch the ember glow of daylight fade. - See 1,181 traveller reviews, 1,089 candid photos, and great deals for Death Valley National Park, CA, at Tripadvisor. There are no official trails in the dunes, so explore to your heart’s content. No trail, just land of sand dunes! After storing our household movables, ridding ourselves of a house but retaining our 'home' together, we set off with the purpose of hiking in different parts of the world, not forgetting the home country, the USA. We provide all the gear, meals, transportation, permits, fees and reservations so you can focus 100% on hiking and and enjoying your national park camping vacation. If you’re going on a backpacking trip, you can read about more about the, Current Operating Guidelines & New Booking Terms →, Death Valley National Park backpacking trip, Explore Yellowstone With Wildland Trekking. These hiking packages feature hand-picked day hikes in world-renowned destinations and accommodations that put us right in the action. It’s also less than 10-minutes away from the Stovepipe Wells Campground. If yoiu are short of time, this is the site that you can skip. Parking: Paved lot with pull through spaces for buses and large RV's. It’s different than most trails you’ll go on obviously because it’s sand. Lodging Tips! - See 1,178 traveller reviews, 1,087 candid photos, and great deals for Death Valley National Park, CA, at Tripadvisor. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: A Must See - See 1,176 traveler reviews, 1,087 candid photos, and great deals for Death Valley National Park, CA, at Tripadvisor. On Inn-based hiking tours you'll hike by day and at night sleep in cabins, hotels, or lodges. Lots of foot Marks all over the place. There is no official trailhead, nor do any maintained trails lead into them. Check out this list of films shot in Death Valley. Darwin Falls is an unbelievably beautiful and welcome anomaly in Death Valley National Park. Busy parking lot. Please respect this special place by packing out all of your trash and steering clear of the vegetation. One feels like they're in Egypt! Approximately one mile into the hike is Darwin Falls, cascading 25 feet down the lime green algae covered rock. Although this accessibility makes the dunes an extremely popular destination, the almost cinematic landscape makes this a spot that can't be missed in North America's hottest, driest, and lowest place. Guided multi-day packages allow visitors the opportunity to make the most of their time in Death Valley National Park and to do it hassle-free. To go to the tallest sand dune, it might take about 30-60 minutes of walking in the sand. Everything you need to know about Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes . Just take a trip to Death Valley and check out these filming locations for Star Wars Episode IV–A New Hope and Star Wars Episode VI–Return of the Jedi. Le sentier offre plusieurs activités et sa meilleure utilisation est de novembre à mars. This is a fun warm up trail. Link to map. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a series of picturesque dunes located in Death Valley National Park and is one of California's most popular attractions. Read more about Death Valley Hiking Tours. Some brave adventurers do this barefoot. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a family-friendly sand dunes system located very close to Stovepipe Wells which are generally filled with bus loads of tourists and large areas of trampled sand. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: Fun, sandy hike! The Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes are the best known and most easily accessible dunes in the park. Exercise caution on the hike back. Three miles before you reach Stovepipe Wells, the dunes will be clearly visible from the road and you’ll turn right into the parking lot. Jumped down the tallest dune in the area - 125 feet down. It is very crowded near the road, but if you hike into the dunes, you can find areas of quiet and solitude. If you intend to hike to the top of the dunes, it is farther than it looks -- about 2.3 miles round trip. Things to do! In one scene, surrounded by the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, John Wayne’s character attempts to squeeze water from the pulp of a barrel cactus. Such a fun, different and challenging WALK! Map to Death Valley Use the map below for directions to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley. From the high point along the rim, observe the massive blanket of grey-black cinder; the result of Ubehebe’s eruption. Located just on the outskirts of the village of Stovepipe Wells, the dunes are a great place to romp, play, and explore. Due to the extreme environment and remoteness, it is recommended that solo hikers and backpackers provide itinerary information and emergency contacts to park personnel. Very cool experience and saw some wildlife here. Death Valley’s proximity to Hollywood, California made it a hot spot for filming throughout the 20th century. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes of Death Valley is located a little over 30-minutes away from the town of Furnace Creek off the Highway 190. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the most photographed dunes at Death Valley National Park. They’re centrally located, easily accessible, fun to hike, and beautiful for photos. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a centerpiece of Death Valley National Park. A hike into the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes can be as long or short, arduous or easy as you wish to make it. The Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes are truly a sight of wonder and amazement, a trove of cinematic history, and a playground for kids and the young at heart. Le sentier vous présentera des fleurs sauvages et sa difficulté est évaluée comme facile. 3 mi RT + 300 feet elevation. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Highway 190 Stovepipe Wells, CA 92328. Still got some nice pictures using the moonlight as natural lighting. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the easiest sand dunes to visit in Death Valley National Park. Not too many people make it this far so it was nice to get away for a bit. Book your tickets online for Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park: See 1,181 reviews, articles, and 1,089 photos of Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, ranked No.8 on Tripadvisor among 64 attractions in Death Valley National Park. To reach the dune’s parking lot from Furnace Creek, drive 22 miles west on Highway 190. And you can literally see it driving on the highway from a distance. Tough to get a picture without the the foot marks. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes located in Death Valley National Park near Stovepipe Wells, is the largest dune field in the park. Mesquite Flat Dunes These dunes are the best known and easiest to visit in the national park. Ubehebe Crater is a stunning testament to Death Valley’s violent volcanic past. Wildland Trekking, a home-grown USA adventure travel company started in 2005, has become one of the world’s leading trekking companies. A Wildland Trekking basecamp tour is an incredible way to have an adventurous outdoor experience of world renowned national park and wilderness destinations while hiking with only a light daypack and sleeping soundly in comfortable, vehicle-accessible camps. Death Valley National Park has an entrance fee, but no permit is required to hike on the dunes. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are some of the most accessible desert dunes in the country, located off a paved road just a mile out of Death Valley National Park's Stovepipe Wells Village. Sign up to receive our exclusive Wildland Wire emails and stay up to date with Wildland Trekking's promotions, discounts, contests, outdoor tips and tricks, trip reports and more! Cottonwood & Marble Canyon Loop; Old Stovepipe Wells; Salt Creek Interpretive Trail; Father Crowley Vista Point; Devil's Corn Field; Keane Wonder Mine; Stovepipe Wells General Store; Sights & Landmarks in Death Valley National Park. Below is a photo tour showing the progression from the beginning of the hike to the peak of the highest dune. Learn about the origins, mission and people of Wildland, America’s #1 source for Unforgettable Hiking Vacations! I saw a fox basking in the sun . Beautiful sunset! 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