Woman hiking the Badlands Trail in Golden Canyon at Death Valley National Park

Death Valley Double Dare

Badwater, Hell's Gate, Desolation Canyon … do you dare go there? For all its intimidating names evoking isolation, remoteness, and heat, Death Valley National Park is an intriguing destination best visited in the winter and early spring. As the largest national park in the Lower 48, exploring here is wondrous, with a landscape that’s both raw and rugged and spirited and sublime—from canyons to peaks and dunes, even a massive crater you can descend into.

Week: 02.17.2021
Regions: Northern & Southern CA

Good as Golden

Hike a Classic Loop in Golden Canyon at Death Valley National Park

Woman hiking the Badlands Trail in Golden Canyon Death Valley National Park
Golden Canyon in Death Valley has a variety of hiking trails. We like this classic 5.5-mile loop exploring a labyrinth of marbled gold colored hills, badlands, narrow canyons, and tremendous vistas.
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Dune Swoon

Sunset at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park

Woman standing on top of a sand dune at Mesquite Flat in Death Valley National Park at Sunset
Of all the places to catch a sunset in Death Valley, we still think there’s none better than the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, inspiring many things, including log rolls, cartwheels, and sundown selfies.
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Ready When You Are: Reno Tahoe

Wide Open Winter Adventures in Reno Tahoe

Reno Tahoe
Reno Tahoe snowshoe woman in forest
Man in hot spring in Reno Tahoe
beer on tap at Alibi Reno Tahoe
With outdoors being essential for health and wellness, and new protocols in place, Reno Tahoe welcomes visitors! It's wide open with snowshoe trails, fire pits by the river, skating, and hot springs.
Plan Your Reno Tahoe Winter Getaway

Cataclysmic Galactic

Hike Around Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley National Park

Woman hiking the trail around Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley National Park
Death Valley has a Star Wars vibe going with its desolate landscape. So when you first arrive to hike at the incredible Ubehebe Crater you might expect to see the Millennium Falcon hunkered nearby.
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Canyons Calling

Mosaic Canyon and Desolation Canyon Hikes in Death Valley National Park

Woman hiking up to views from Desolation Canyon in Death Valley National Park
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Canyon hikes come in all shapes and sizes in Death Valley, and we’ve got two gems. One requires more rigorous scrambling and navigation, and leads to a dryfall; the other takes you up to a brilliant vista.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

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  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

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  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

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  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

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  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

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