News Release

Mosaic Canyon Road Closed for Upgrades to Stovepipe Wells

Despite the road closure, visitors can still hike the water-carved landscape of Mosaic Canyon.

NPS Photo: Kurt Moses

News Release Date: October 9, 2018

Contact: Brandi Stewart, 760-786-3226

Contact: Abby Wines, 760-786-3221

DEATH VALLEY, CA – Death Valley National Park’s Mosaic Canyon Road is closed through June 30, 2019.  The temporary closure is necessary due to safety concerns during a construction project on to increase the capacity of the Stovepipe Wells water system. The project includes excavating trenches and a large pit, and placing water pipes and a large tank.

Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds states, “The temporary closure of this road is necessary to ensure we have adequate water for fire suppression at Stovepipe Wells. We have responded to structural fires here in the past and sufficient water has always been a concern.”

While the access road is closed for the first three-quarters of a mile, Mosaic Canyon will remain open to hikers. Visitors wishing to explore Mosaic Canyon can park at the Stovepipe Well Ranger Station, walk around the construction zone, and continue up the road. The walk from the ranger station to the mouth of the canyon is approximately 2.5 miles one-way and the first portion is over rough, native desert landscape.

Mosaic Canyon is a narrow canyon with smooth marble walls that have been scoured and polished by flash floods. Alternative hikes include lower Titus Canyon, Fall Canyon, Golden Canyon, and Natural Bridge.