Desolation Canyon

Desolation Canyon is a miniature version of the larger canyons found in the badlands of the Black Mountains of Death Valley.   It deserves it's name; there is little vegitation in the area and few people visit this canyon.  Perhaps this is because there is no sign on the turn off to the parking area.

The canyon itself cuts through the sedimentary rocks of the Artist Drive Formation, which were deposited in a lake during the late Miocene.  Volcanic ashes reacted with the trace chemicals dissolved in the water of the lake, producing new compounds which now color the hills of the canyon.  

From the parking area and trailhead, you follow the trail east around the toe of a low hill.  After a quarter of a mile, you enter a broad wash that leads to the canyon.  The canyon narrows very quickly, with the walls being a few feet apart in places.  They are not high and resemble nothing more than congealed mud.  But the walls are not just mud, but are thin layers of mudstones and shales, in many colors:  yellow, gray, brown, blue-gray, greenish.   There are several small pour overs to scramble over as the canyon meanders, twisting and turing.  The tallest pour over, 8 to 10 feet, is easy to climb, although it is harder to climb back down on your return.  There are several side canyons which are fun to check out.  After 1.8 miles, you reach a 18 foot fall, which marks the end of the route unless you want to scramble up a steep, loose sandy gully to a promontory that overlooks the falls.