SIDEWINDER CANYON

SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA

Summary

Sidewinder Canyon offers variable mileage depending on how far you’re comfortable navigating. There are slot canyons and rock falls to traverse and plenty of offshoots to explore, making it a “choose your own adventure” type of hiking experience.

Trail Stats

Mileage: 9.57 Miles with offshoots

Without offshoots, 4-6 miles RT

Total Elevation Gain: 2,047 feet

Toilet at trailhead: No

Sandwich Spots: Yes

Parking: Designated Lot

Mileage/EG from Garmin Watch

Trail Details

Day one in Death Vally had us driving in on Badwater Road and stopping to hike Sidewinder Canyon. This hike does not have a large sign from the road so best to know where you’re going. It is also not listed on the park map. Cell service and internet is iffy at best throughout the park.

From the parking lot you can get to Sidewinder or Willow canyons. Neither are clearly marked. North is Willow Canyon which apparently leads to a seasonal waterfall. We chose to head south into Sidewinder which took a bit of wandering around to find. There are footprints leading everywhere so don’t rely on those.

Sidewinder begins as a wide wash that is quite exposed and has a view out to the road. Not exactly awe inspiring until you slog through the wash for awhile. As you ascend into the canyon there are multiple offshoots you may explore. Thus the variable mileage available. We chose to head straight up the main canyon first. The wash gradually narrows and becomes vastly more interesting.

There are a few sections that must be rock hopped and scrambled up. One spot was well over 6 feet tall and required a bit of rock climbing skill. Not my specialty at all. I have a very healthy fear of falling off things. Such as really tall rock walls. Or ledges. Climbing this thing was not bad. It’s always the navigation back down that gets to me. Doug always reminds me that I have to get back down whatever I climb. To which I often reply, “that’s later me’s problem.” And it was. After one failed attempt at descending, partly due to my legs and arms not being long enough to reach the points Doug used, and partly due to an epic cramp in my newly repaired hip, I decided that this was in fact stupid and I just needed to get over myself and off this rock. I really have no patience for my own ridiculousness and fears. And I just could NOT reach the foothold. How entirely irritating. So I used Dougs shoulder. Handy that. And essentially slid to sitting on his shoulders and then got down. It’s really a shame no one witnessed how entirely ridiculous we looked. All over a measly slick rock face. I won’t learn my lesson, just so we’re clear. I’ll continue climbing up faces I should not.

On our way back down (past the big slick rock) there’s a goat path leading to the top of the canyon wall offering great lookouts over the canyon and into Badwater Basin. It provided the perfect lunch spot where we enjoyed our lunch of PB & honey sandwiches and apples. Nothing quite like food that does not need refrigeration.

We thoroughly explored three spurs off Sidewinder canyon. All were fun but the second was our favorite as it narrowed into a genuine slot canyon with slim winding passages. It did require all four extremities to navigate as I’d frequently lower myself down by bracing my arms against rocks. Gotta love hikes where your arms are sore afterwards.

For the entirety of the hike we only ran into about a half dozen fellow hikers, making it seem as if we had the canyon to our selves. It’s a beautiful canyon hike, certainly less popular and consequently less crowded than others in the park. No snakes were seen despite being named Sidewinder Canyon.