Hike Ubehebe Crater, Death Valley National Park

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The awe inspiring Ubehebe Crater is over 600 feet deep and half a mile wide. The massive crater was formed about 2,100 years ago, but the most recent explosion might have happened as recently as 300 years ago. The crater’s sheer size dwarfs visitors and provokes a feeling of wonder for nature’s power. Local Native American tribes refer to the crater as "Tem-pin-tta- Wo’sah," meaning Coyote’s Basket. The entire crater can be viewed from a parking lot on its rim, but further exploration on trails reveal additional smaller craters and the fascinating effects of erosion. There are three major trails at the crater. One trail goes from the parking area to the bottom of Ubehebe, a second circumnavigates the crater rim, while a third trail leads off to Little Hebe. The hike is commonly done in a counter-clockwise direction where hikers begin with the uphill section first. Within 0.5 mi (0.8km) Little Hebe Crater comes into view and is a common destination for those looking for a shorter trip. Ubehebe Crater is located at the north tip of the Cottonwood Mountains. The crater is half a mile wide and 500 to 777 feet deep. "Ubehebe" (pronounced YOU-bee-HEE-bee) is a Timbisha Native American word meaning "Big basket in the rock." The crater was formed when magma migrated close to the surface and the heat of the magma flashed groundwater into steam, throwing large quantities of pulverized old rock and new magma across the stony alluvial fan draped across the valley floor. The magma rose through a fault that lies along the western base of Tin Mountain. Movement on this fault was responsible for uplift of the entire Cottonwood Mountains range. Winds at the rim of Ubehebe are very strong and often gust above 50 mph. No restrooms. Nearest restrooms are located at the unstaffed Grapevine Ranger Station 5 miles (8km) east of the crater.

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