Par 3 on the Devil

Development Route / Death Valley National Park, California (South) / Published: Dec 2021 / Directions

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Leading out!

Devil's golf course.

Gravel road on cycling route in california

History on death valley gravel cycling route

Historical exploration on gravel cycling ride

The Borax Works site.

Finishing up gravel ride in death valley california

Making the return ...

Route:

Out & Back | 27 mi

Gain:

280 ft

Surface:

100% gravel

Technical Difficulty:

Moderate

Navigation:

Straightforward

Locale:

Remote

Tire Suggestion:

45 mm

Options:

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Finding your way through the desert of Death Valley National Park, you will have the opportunity to see the interesting landscape of Devils Golf Course. Don’t bring along your 9 iron though, this area is so-called because of its inability to be played on, really to almost walk on. Jagged spikes of eroded rock salt form a rugged terrain that is delicate yet dramatic to see.

Along the route are many historical sites to explore. The region was once a destination for gold prospectors and borax mining sites and many stories can be found about the history and people who lived and explored in one of the harshest places in the US.

And don’t forget to keep an eye out for desert creatures including roadrunners, a small, long-legged bird, and a year-round resident. The Mojave Desert Tortoise, who lives mostly underground has called Death Valley home for millions of years, even before it was a desert.

Do this route to get an up-close look at life on the valley floor and to learn about the ecology and treacherous history of Death Valley. This is a must-do ride if you are a history buff.

Caution, this is a Development Route. It has not been fully vetted or ridden by the Dirty Freehub Team. Go prepared and expect a bit more adventure. Any feedback you have would be much appreciated. You can leave it below in the comments block.

Map

Brown = gravel / dirt road

Blue = single track

Red = paved road

Purple = paved bike path

GPX Download Version v0.1

Highlights & Remarkable Spots

Devils Golf Course / ~ Area at the beginning of ride

Devils Golf Course a geological landscape made up of jagged salt formations created by years of erosion of wind and rain. A dramatic, yet beautiful site to stop and explore.

Shorty’s Well / ~ mile 8.5

“Alexander Zachariah Borden, nicknamed ‘Shorty’ came searching for gold in 1887 in the Death Valley region. Finding only a few small gold strikes throughout his many years of searching did not discourage him from falling for the desert and so he stayed. Shorty became familiar with the area over his many years of looking for gold and eventually, he gained some amount of fame by finding a water well off the Westside Road, which in a desert can be considered as valuable as gold.” ^{[Shorty’s Well]}

Dalton Harris Gravesite / ~ mile 9.5

Burial site for Jim Dayton and Shorty (Frank) Harris. Jim Dayton, a respected pioneer prospector of the Death Valley region, died in 1898 of exposure while traveling to buy supplies and was buried where he was found. Harris, one of the greatest and most successful Death Valley prospectors died in 1934. Before his death, he requested to be buried next to his prospecting partner and friend Jim Dayton. The marker for Harris reads: Here lies Shorty Harris, a single blanket jackass prospector – 1856 – 1934 Also on the marker is written – To these trail makers, whose courage matched the dangers of the land, this bit of Earth is dedicated forever. The two friends are buried deeper than anyone else.

Eagle Borax Spring / Eagle Borax Works / ~ mile 10.5

Eagle Borax Spring is a spring that sits at an elevation of -269 feet. Near the springs is the site of Eagle Borax Works, the first borax refinery in Death Valley. It was founded by Isadore Daunet and was in operation for only two years. Not much remains of the structures.

Bennett’s Long Camp / ~ mile 13.5

Near this location, the Bennett-Arcane group became stranded seeking a shortcut to find gold. The emigrants who were originally from the Mojave-San-Joaquin (Mojave Sand Walking) wagon party, remained at this site for over a month nearly perishing before two of the travelers, William Lewis Manly and John Rogers, undertook a heroic journey on foot, returning with supplies and leading the party to safety.

Badwater Basin / ~ mile 13.7

This route terminates (u-turns) near the lowest point in the continental US. ~ 250 feet below sea level. Near Badwater Basin.

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

October to April, when the temperatures are reasonable. This will be one of the hottest spots in Death Valley each and every day.

Terrain & Riding

A flat, very flat, ride bounded in the distance by the Amargosa Mountain Range to the east and the Panamint Mountain range to the west. But remember, the valley floor is big!!

However, the road twists and turns, limiting your near sightlines, bringing you through several different ecological areas.

The road quality is generally hard-pack, varying between a clay base (?) and laid down gravel. There are also some short stretches where it is a bit sandier, but surprisingly for this deep on the valley floor, there is not a lot of wash

The Start

Lat / Long: 36.339196, -116.867864

A pull-off parking area west of West Side Road.

Food & Water

None.

Notes & Options

Route Notes

Death Valley is classic Southwest desert riding with more of a jeep road feel than a classic gravel road; it can vary from hard-pack with embedded rock to loose and course to soft wash sand and washboard. The surfaces are ever changing based on based on maintenance, rains, and time of year. Thus, err on the side of too much tire, rather than not enough. We recommend 700c X 50 mm or 650b X 2.1” tires or larger and an adventure gravel bike versus a more traditional all road gravel bike. Larger, softer tires will handle the washboard best.
Check the weather before you go. Wind and sun exposure can be signifcant factors on this route.

Route Options

A longer option is to continue on the Westside Road until intersecting Badwater Road and then returning north. This is a complete circumnavigation of the Badwater Basin. We believe there are many more historic sites along the way.

The starting location is the same as that for the shorter (original) route.

Longer Option: Par 3 on the Devil (Longer)

Comments

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