West Ridge from Panamint Valley

Approach

Take the dirt Lake Hill Road north from Highway 190 in Panamint Valley. This turnoff is about two miles east of the junction of Hwy 190 and Panamint Valley Road.

Drive north to the parking area for the Panamint Dunes. Any vehicle with decent clearance should be able to reach this point, but conditions are subject to change. From here, the road curves northeast toward the mountains and the Big Four Mine. Depending on your vehicle, you can drive farther up this road and thus shorten the hike.

Route Description

Distance and elevation gain will vary depending on where you start from. The Wilderness closure is at about 2120' southwest of the Big Four Mine (see map snip in the images for this route). Starting from there, it's about 7 miles round-trip with about 4,464' of gain. Starting from the Panamint Dunes parking area is about 8.5 miles round-trip with nearly 5000' of gain.

Head up the ridge that is just north and along side the Big Four Mine. Farther down the page I've provided links reports with GPX's.

This route is almost always steep; often very steep; and in a few places dangerously steep. It's a long, strenuous slog. Trekking poles are HIGHLY recommended. At the top, the high point south-southwest of the summit is a few feet lower, but reportedly also has a register.

Essential Gear

Trekking poles and gaiters (to keep out scree, etc.) recommended.

Miscellaneous Info

When I climbed this route in 2020, I had a good AT&T signal all along the ridge and on the summit.

2016 trip report with route description, stats, and a GPX: Click here

2019 trip report with stats and a GPX: Click here