Off-road West Side Road, Death Valley National Park, California

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West Side Road is a 40-mile-long graded road that parallels Badwater Road on the west side of Death Valley and is passable by two-wheel-drive vehicles. West Side Road provides access to multiple high-clearance four-wheel-drive roads, including Hanaupah Canyon, Johnson Canyon, and Warm Springs Canyon. Warm Springs Canyon Road provides a route into remote Butte Valley and the rugged Mengel Pass. The West Side Road in Death Valley leaves the Badwater Road 6 miles south of Furnance Creek and follows the valley bottom on the west side of the playa. It reconnects with the Badwater Rd near the southern end of Death Valley near the Jubilee Pass Rd. This is the historic route of the 20-mule team wagons, this road skirts the west side of Badwater Basin and provides access to 4WD roads leading into canyons of the Panamint Mountains. Vehicle needed for the main road: High-clearance due to washboard, deep gravel and dust pockets. Amargosa River crossing at southern end may be impassable when flowing. Start: Badwater Road six miles south of Hwy 190 (north entrance) or 39.2 miles south of Hwy 190 (south entrance). Camping: No camping along road, must be two miles up side roads before camping allowed. Some of the side tracks you can take are: Trail Canyon Rd is road leads to a spring and old mining area at the forks of the canyon.: Vehicle needed: High-clearance first four miles to top of the alluvial fan, then 4WD beyond. Passage is slow going with many large rocks. Distance: 10.4 miles. Start: West Side Road, 6.3 miles via north entrance. Camping: No camping first two miles. Hanaupah Canyon Rd From the summit of Telescope Peak—the park’s highest point—to the salt flats at the bottom of Death Valley, this canyon has the greatest vertical drop. Vehicle needed: High-clearance first five miles to top of alluvial fan, then 4WD to end of road due to very rocky and rough conditions. Distance: 8 miles. Start: West Side Road, 11.9 miles via north entrance. Johnson Canyon Rd ends at a two mile hike leads to Hungry Bill’s Ranch, with its rock-walled terraces and fruit trees planted in the late 1800s. Vehicle needed: High-clearance first six miles to mouth of canyon, then 4WD the last four miles in the rocky wash. Last 0.1 mile of road is over-grown and very wet. Distance: 10 miles. Start: West Side Road, 21.9 miles via north entrance. Camping: No camping first two miles. Warm Springs Rd. Vehicle needed: High-clearance first ten miles to Warm Springs Talc mine and camp, then 4WD to Butte Valley due to deep ruts and rocky areas. Distance: 20.4 to Butte Valley. Start: West Side Road, 3 miles via south entrance. Camping: No camping fi rst two miles. Butte Canyon Road continues west from Warm Springs Rd into Panamint Valley. It then connects to Coyote Canyon Rd and eventually Gofe Canyon Road. Butte Valley is famous for it’s isolation, unique cabins, and mining history. At the end of Gofe Canyon Road is Barker Ranch, hideout of the infamous Manson Family is up a short spur road. Vehicle needed: Rough 4WD. For experienced 4WD drivers only. Section over both sides of Mengel Pass is challenging, steep and rutted. Canyon narrows at west end is sometimes impassable after floods. Distance:

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