Dante’s Ridge Hiking at 5,475 feet | Death Valley Part 3
On our last day in Death Valley, we drove 25 miles from Sunset Campground in Furnace Creek to Dante’s View. Dante’s View is up at 5,475 feet and the viewpoint terrace provides a rest area with amazing panoramic views in just about every direction. It is a popular spot for both photographers and amateur astronomers to bring their telescopes at night. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!
Hiking Dante’s Ridge in Death Valley National Park. Pin this for later!
According to Wikipedia, Dante's View was used as a filming location for the 1977 film Star Wars as the characters overlook the fictional Tatooine spaceport of Mos Eisley (which was added into the scene as a matte painting) and I can totally see the resemblance.
There is a short walk out on one of the ridges, or you can decide to go for it and hike the entire Dante’s Ridge as we did. It is an out-and-back hike starting from Dante’s View parking lot where you hike up and down along multiple ridges towards Mt. Perry.
Dante’s Ridge
The official stats say this is 8 miles and 1,200 foot elevation gain, but our Apple Watch reported the round trip was closer to 8.5 miles and 2,400 cumulative elevation gain (due to the many steep ups and downs along the ridge).
Ultimately it took about five hours to complete so I would rate this trail as Difficult. The route is fairly easy to follow, although the trail gets lost in the rocks briefly at various times throughout the hike. There are no restrooms or shade along the hike, so you probably want to start early in the day especially if it’s summertime.
We started around 10:30 am and finished at 3:30 pm. We ended up hiking in the hottest part of the day, and we noticed that nobody started after us. Fortunately, it was early March so the temp was in the high 50s and low 60s with a nice breeze the entire time so really the temperature was not a concern.
However, the low sun resulted in me getting a sunburn on the back of my legs, mainly the result of skipping sunscreen on my legs and how long the hike ended up being. Don’t make the same mistake I did!
We started at Dante’s View and the end of the trail was the blue dot. Then we had to turn around and do it all over again back to the start.
The views on the hike make it all worth it though. To the west, the white salt flats of Badwater Basin are down below and the Panamint Range further behind it. To the east, you can see the Great Basin ranges of Nevada. Lots of photographers were seen up at the viewpoint terrace and early parts of the hike taking pictures. Easily the best scenery we saw on the trip here. Later in the hike, we could even see all the way back to Furnace Creek where we were camped at.
The final quarter-mile to the summit is mostly scrambling on sharp rocks with a few cairns to mark the way. We found a spot at the peak to rest our feet and have a snack before heading back. It was also one of the few hikes in Death Valley that had some good cell phone coverage! When we finally made it back to the car, we were beat!
Twenty Mule Team Canyon & Zabriskie Point
On our way to Dante’s View in the morning, we decided to detour one time through Twenty Mule Team Canyon. It’s a short one-way dirt road that branches off and rejoins the highway, no 4x4 needed. It is worth the detour!
Scenes from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, were filmed here including the landscape around Jabba the Hutt's palace. The Blu-ray deleted scenes of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi also included a scene from a small cave where Luke Skywalker finishes his lightsaber.
We had planned on stopping at Zabriskie Point, but after our exhausting hike of Dante’s Ridge, we had nothing left in us. Don’t miss this popular viewpoint like we did, especially if you don’t want to go all the way up to Dante’s View. According to the Death Valley Visitor Guide, this is a view of the “golden-colored badlands and a spectacular spot for sunrise.”
Conclusion
Our recommended day trip would include visiting Zabriskie Point, driving through Twenty Mule Team Canyon, and then checking out Dante’s View. Do the short hike out on the first ridge for the spectacular views, especially at sunrise or sunset. Take on the crazy 8 miles of Dante’s Ridge if you have the time and love challenging hikes!
Interested in other things to do in Death Valley National Park check out our Death Valley Part 1 | Lowest Point in North America and Rare Pupfish & Old Keane Wonder Mine | Death Valley Part 2 articles. Planning a trip to California? Take a look at our California articles. Where are we going next? Don’t miss an adventure, subscribe today.
