The Wildrose charcoal kilns at Death Valley National Park/NPS file
With temperatures climbing into the low 100s, Death Valley National Park has reopened Emigrant Canyon Road, a key high-elevation route that is a popular access point for cooler summer recreation.
The road suffered heavy damage following a severe flash flood in August 2023. Temporary fixes allowed it to reopen after a few months but left it vulnerable to wear and tear and further flooding. In collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration, the National Park Service made long-term road repairs, reinforcing vulnerable segments with buried concrete barriers and rock-filled baskets to improve resilience against future floods.
Emigrant Canyon Road leads to Wildrose Campground. Located at 4,000 feet, the higher elevation campground offers a welcome respite from the heat; it is typically around 15 degrees cooler than Furnace Creek.
Beyond the end of the paved road, a two-mile stretch accessible by passenger cars leads to the historic Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. These beehive-shaped stone structures date back to the 1870s. Nearby, the Wildrose Peak Trail begins—an 8-mile round-trip hike offering sweeping views of the park.
Adventurous visitors with high-clearance vehicles can continue to Thorndike Campground and Mahogany Flat Campground, perched at 8,000 feet. Temperatures at this elevation can be 30 degrees cooler than the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
Mahogany Flat serves as the trailhead for Telescope Peak, the park’s highest summit at 11,049 feet.
Visitors are reminded to bring their own water, as none is available onsite. Vehicles over 25 feet in length are not permitted on Emigrant Canyon Road.
Recent FHWA roadwork across Death Valley National Park included improvements to:
- Badwater Road
- Mud Canyon Road
- Beatty Cutoff
- Daylight Pass
- West Side Road
- North Highway
- Ubehebe Crater Road
- Gates which allow the park to close off roads when flooding makes them unsafe.
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