Hike Mosaic Canyon
Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley National Park is made of smooth marble walls of Noonday Dolomite. The canyon is named for something called Breccia, a composition of tiny angular fragments of various types of parent rock locked within a natural cement. It looks like something Antoni Gaudi would’ve drawn inspiration from for his organic architecture and heavy use of mosaic tiles.
Details:
Out & Back Trail Hike: 4 miles
Trailhead location
Rated: Moderate
Elevation change: 1,200 feet
Free to visit once you’re inside the park, you’ll need a National Parks Pass to enter Death Valley National Park
Free parking: The access road to this hike’s parking lot is unpaved, but you can usually get away with driving to it in a sedan, just go slowly and proceed with caution. (We did it in a low Hyundai Sonata)
The trail starts in a dirt parking lot and into the walled in maze. The hike snakes through canyon walls closing in on either side, swirling around and interesting geological patterns.
A close-up of the rock fragments
Some of the walls are smooth, carved from of flowing water. Other walls are rough from grinding rocks breaking from forces of nature, then drying back together with sand and water to form colorful patterns.
It’s really cool wandering through this slot canyon.
Look closely to see all the rocks that have become glued together.
Just For Fun Park Tees
These tees are unnecessary for hiking, but it’s always fun to get a tank or tee with the National Park name on it for photos. I found these Tees on Etsy.
If you’re pressed for time, you can see most of the hike’s interesting features within the first mile in, making it a 2 mile hike rather than 4. I highly recommend this hike because the features are truly unique and quite beautiful!
For a full list of things to do check out my post 3 Days In Death Valley National Park.
