Just up the road from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park is a canyon that can be experienced right from the driver’s seat. This 2.8-mile one-way dirt road is well maintained and passable in any car or truck.
The road leads into and across a picturesque Death Valley landscape of canyons and badlands. The scenery is impressive, plus the kids in the backseat can play a game of who-can-spot-the-most-borax-mine-shafts along the way. This is a fun terrain to cross in your car and an easy side trip for those driving to Dante’s View.
Trivia note: The famed twenty mule team wagons that brought Borax from Death Valley to the rail lines to the south (in what is now Mojave National Preserve) did not actually pass through Twenty Mule Team Canyon.
To get to Twenty Mule Team Canyon: From Furnace Creek, drive 5 miles southeast on Highway 190 (One mile past Zabriskie Point). A road sign for Twenty Mule Team Canyon points to the west (right). Turn here and start the drive. After 2.8 miles, Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road ends up back on Highway 190.
Address: 20 Mule Team Road, Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, CA 92328
Twenty Mule Team Canyon coordinates: 36.40953, -116.7947 (36° 24′ 34.3″N 116° 47′ 40.9″W)
Use the map below to view the road and get directions:
Or view California Desert trails and campgrounds in a larger map
 | Zabriskie Point Zabriskie Point offers a stunning panorama of the badlands near Furnace Creek. |
 | Dante’s View This towering overlook above Badwater Basin offers panoramic views of Death Valley. |
 | Artist’s Drive This 9-mile drive crosses a sloping mountainside composed of vibrant soil colored by rich metals. |
 | Death Valley Explore more destinations in Death Valley National Park. |
 | Death Valley Campgrounds Nine campgrounds are spread throughout this large park to facilitate your visit. |
[…] away is Twenty Mule Team Canyon, which offers a 3-mile loop ride, and you can continue along the road to explore on foot the Salt […]
[…] 20 Mule Team, Death Valley National Park, California. If wandering is your specialty, 20 Mule Team may be the place you want to go. A road winds through it, and I’d guess the park service assumes most people will use it exclusively as a scenic drive. That’s all well and good – the scenery really is pretty crazy (mostly multi-colored badlands and similar). But use one of the pull-offs to park and go exploring the labyrinth of canyons, badlands, and general natural mayhem that changes with every storm. […]