Canyoneering Route Description

Willow Canyon - 3B III
Death Valley National Park, California.

Quick Facts

04-19-09, 4 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 7 hours) Pictures Icon

Time Required - 6 to 8 hours
Distance - 4.6 miles Total, 1.5 miles Technical
Rappels - 11 Rappels, Longest Rappel 90 feet.
Elevation Range - 2640 - 220 feet Below sea level Feet
Shuttle Required -Yes 56.5 Miles Vehicle - 4WD - High Clearance Permit Required - No
23 miles of the shuttle are dirt road.  A high clearance vehicle may make the drive just fine. 
There are a couple of spots where 4WD may be needed if the road conditions are bad.

Gear Used for Canyon

Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 90 feet and 50 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.

General Comments

Willow Canyon is a treat that contrasts with other canyons in the Black Mountains of Death Valley.  It is one of the few with flowing water.  There is more vegetation than the other canyons and a few water falls to rappel down to keep it fun and cool.  You will only get wet up to your knees with some possible splashing up to waist high.  

The park service has been working to eradicate tamarisk in the canyon.  It had grown in very dense and made travel down canyon a maddening bushwhacking experience.  A large portion of the tamarisk was cut out as of April, 2009. 

Note - Help Wanted
November 2014 I was asked to place a blurb on the Willow Canyon page to see if the canyoneering community could assist the park.  Death Valley National Park would like information about the Tamarisk (Salt Cedar) in Willow Canyon.  If you you visit Willow Canyon, please report any Tamarisk (Salt Cedar) observed in this canyon to DEVA_information@nps.gov or to the front desk at the Visitor Center. Any photos are appreciated!

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

From the Bad Water parking lot, drive south on highway 178 approximately 48.1 miles to a turn off on the left (north west) to a dirt road (ExtFrnCk-178).  The turn off will have a sign saying Furnace Creek Wash Road (on some maps this is labeled as Greenwater Valley Road).  As a side note: shortly before reaching the turn off will be another turn off with the same name to the right (south), note this is not the one you want.   

After turning left onto the dirt road drive north west 10.6 miles to a junction with another dirt road (ExtTwrdGoldVly) and turn left onto the this dirt road.  Drive another 2.5 miles to a fork in the road (ExtGoldValley1) and continue left.  Drive another 5.2 miles to another fork (ExtGoldValley2) and continue right.  Drive another 3.0 miles to another fork (ExtGoldValley3) and continue right.  Drive another 1.7 miles to where the road dead ends at the trailhead for Willow Canyon (tWillowCreek).

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

From the Bad Water parking lot, drive south on highway 178 approximately 14.6 miles to a turn off (extWillowPkBt) on the left (east).  Turn left (east) then drive 0.2 miles to where the road ends at a tee.  Park the exit vehicle anywhere along the tee (pkWillowBt).

Maps

GPS coordinate information listed at the bottom.  For information about waypoint naming and map symbols, refer to the Glossary page.

Map Link Icon
Click the links for maps of the route. Map of the drive into the route.
Map of the entire route.

Details

The Approach:
From the trailhead (tWillowCreek) follow the trail LDC and start up a small hill and stay on canyon left to bypass the first of a few spring and the dense vegetation areas.

About 0.2 from the trailhead the trail drops to the wash then quickly starts back up the left side again to bypass more vegetation (wWillowRP-01).  The trail drops back to the wash about 600 feet later.

Another 0.3 miles the trail bypasses more vegetation and another spring by going high up on the right side of the canyon (wWillowRP-02) then dropping back down to the wash.

The trail is easy to follow and either bypasses or travels through a few more springs and vegetation patches.  There are also a couple of wide open areas along the way.  If you happen to be there when the flowers are in bloom you will get quite a show in these wide open areas as the flowers are absolutely everywhere.

At about 0.9 mile from the trailhead is the first down climb (yWillowTp).  The down climb is very easy and drops down a small water fall about 8 feet tall.  This is the spot I chose to call the top of the technical section.

The Canyon / Technical Section:
After the down climb (yWillowTp) there is another short section of open canyon then a couple more down climbs along the way with more wide open spaces between.

Rap 1 (dWillowR1) is about 0.1 miles down canyon of the drop in.  To get down to the anchor for Rap 1 you will need to down climb about 10 feet RDC.  Rap 1 is anchored from the trunk of a large tamarisk tree.  The tamarisk has been cut down by the park service so it is no longer living.  The trunk was very secure at the time we went through but an alternate anchor may need to be found as the trunk withers away over time and becomes untrustworthy.  Rap 1 drop about 35 feet down a trickling fall over 2 stages of 15 feet and 20 feet.

After rap 1 the trail continues down canyon on the right as it skirts the edges of more vegetation.  Along the way there was a lot of dead tamarisk that had been cut back and left in the canyon.

About 400 feet down canyon of rap 1 is a drop of about 15 feet (wWillowRP-03).  The drop is bypassed by traversing around high LDC along a steeply sloped wall.  After the drop, the canyon starts to take on a more narrow look with the water flowing in a defined stream down the middle.

After going over a few more slopes of rock you soon come to another drop that needs to be down climbed.  This drop is over 2 stages of about 6 feet each.  The first stage is over grown with thick tamarisk preventing access.  The drop can be down climbed by traversing another steeply sloped wall LDC or a tricky down climb right next to the drop RDC.  If the tamarisk is cut back in this area the drop would be much easier to navigate by going right down each of the 6 foot drops.

Rap 2 (dWillowR2-3) is about 0.6 miles down canyon of rap 1.  Rap 2 is anchored from a tamarisk at the top of the rap and drops about 35 feet down a water fall.  Rap 2 can be climbed around RDC if desired.

Rap 3 is right at the bottom of rap 2.  Rap 3 is anchored from a large but dead tamarisk tree.  We backed up the anchor with meat for all but the last person down to be safe.  In the future this anchor should be moved to a “live” tree or some other anchor.  Rap 3 drops about 30 feet over 2 stages of about 15 feet each along a chute with flowing water.

After rap 3 there are a few easy down climbs alongside some waterfalls.  One of these down climbs may have an anchor set for a rap on a tamarisk tree.  Not sure why this anchor was in place as the down climb offers little challenge.

Rap 4 (dWillowR4-5) is about 350 feet down canyon of rap3.  Rap 4 is anchored from a set of bolts RDC.  One of the bolts looks like it has been bent a little and is beginning to rust.  The rap starts down a gentle slope then quickly goes vertical and drops about 80 feet alongside a trickling water fall.  At the bottom of Rap 4 is a large ledge big enough for a very large group.

Rap 5 starts from the ledge at the bottom of rap 4.  Rap 5 is anchored from a tamarisk tree and drops about 70 feet along the lower portion of the trickling water fall.  Rap 5 is slightly sloped most of the way down.

The combination of Rap 4 and Rap 5 is what I believe is labeled as one rap 170 feet long in Chris Brennen’s route description for Willow Canyon.  I chose to label this as two separate rappels since there is plenty of room at the top of rap 5 and there are plenty of natural anchor options (tamarisk tree, large rock / boulder that can be slung and plenty of rocks to build a cairn anchor with).  Treating this as two separate rappels also eliminates the need for two 200 foot ropes.  A single 200 foot rope can be used for the entire canyon instead.

Shortly after rap 5 is a 10 foot water fall down to a small but deep pool.  Traverse the wall LDC to bypass this drop.  After that there are a few more pools to climb around that require little effort to bypass.

Rap 6 (dWillowR6-7) is about 0.2 miles after rap 5.  Rap 6 is anchored from a set of bolts LDC.  The top of Rap 6 looks down climbable but quickly goes vertical as it drops about 60 feet down a water fall to a large ledge.

Rap 7 is right at the bottom of rap 6 and is anchored by a set of bolts RDC.  Rap 7 drops about 70 feet down a wall next to the lower part of the water fall.

Rap 8 (dWillowR8-9) is about 250 feet down canyon from rap 7 with a small pool to climb around to get to the top of Rap 8.  Rap 8 is anchored from a set of bolts LDC.  Rap 8 drops about 60 feet over 2 stages down a water fall with a pool at the top of the second stage.  From the top of the rappel it looks as though you need to drop into the pool at the top of the second stage and get wet to well over your waist.  Looks can be deceiving.  As you get down to the second stage you discover it is easy to walk around the pool and continue on down the second stage.  Looking back at Rap 8 from the bottom has a ghostly look to it with the white stains surrounding the green algae on the walls.

Rap 9 is about 100 feet down canyon of rap 8.  Rap 9 is anchored LDC from a set of bolts and drops about 45 feet down 2 stages (15 feet and 30 feet) along a water fall.  The pool at the top of the second stage is about knee deep as is the pool at the bottom of stage 2.  If you want to stay out of the pools you can do so by staying LDC as you rappel.

After rap 9 is a short down climb around a 15 foot water fall.  Climb around the water fall by traversing the wall LDC.  After the down climb the canyon offers some open wash to walk along as it winds between the high walls.

Rap 10 (dWillowR10) is about 650 feet down canyon of rap 9.  Rap 10 is anchored from a set of bolts LDC.  Rap 10 drops down a sloped water way about 70 feet with a knee deep pool at the bottom.

After rap 10 are a few more easy down climbs around some short waterfalls.  The canyon stays pretty flat bottomed for a way offering the feeling you are almost out.

Rap 11 (dWillowR11) is about 900 feet after rap 10.  Rap 11 is the last rappel of the canyon and is anchored from a set of blots RDC.  Rap 11 drops travels about 90 feet along a sloped water course.

After rap 11 the canyon begins to open up.  About  500 feet down canyon of rap 11 it becomes obvious you are done with the technical section (yWillowBt).

The Exit:
After finishing up with the technical stuff (yWillowBt), follow the canyon until it opens up to the wide open spaces of the valley floor.  Follow the left side and contour around it until you can see the vehicle.  The vehicle (pkWillowBt) will be about 2 miles from the last rappel.

GPS Waypoint Information

Downloadable GPX files available at BG-Gear Store (easier than manual entry and a great way to support Bluugnome).
Waypoint naming convention and map symbol information can be found on the Glossary page.  Elevations are approximate.
BEFORE manually entering coordinates set your system to WGS84 datum and Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd° coordinate format. 
Inconsistent datum's and coordinate formats will result in location errors.

Click to show / expand the list of waypoints below........
Willow Canyon 1 - Drive to Exit Vehicle Parking
  1. sBadWater282          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.23001   W -116.76791        Elev: -282 Feet
    Sign at Bad Water Stating 282 feet below sea level
  2. extWillowPkBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.06770   W -116.74806        Elev: -263 Feet
    Exit to the parking area for the bottom of Willow Canyon.
  3. pkWillowBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.06565   W -116.74483        Elev: -220 Feet
    Park car here for exit of Willow Creek.
Willow Canyon 2 - Drive to upper trailhead
  1. sBadWater282          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.23001   W -116.76791        Elev: -282 Feet
    Sign at Bad Water Stating 282 feet below sea level
  2. extWillowPkBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.06770   W -116.74806        Elev: -263 Feet
    Exit to the parking area for the bottom of Willow Canyon.
  3. extFrnCk-178          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 35.96640   W -116.36372        Elev: 2,100 Feet
    Hwy 178 and Furnace Creek Wash Rd
  4. extTwrdGoldVly          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05575   W -116.50741        Elev: 3,090 Feet
    Turn off of Furnace Creek Wash road (Greenwater Valley road) toward Gold Valley.
  5. extGoldValley1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05790   W -116.55112        Elev: NaN Feet
    Turn left here to go toward Gold Valley, Black Smith trailhead or Willow Canyon trailhead.
  6. extGoldValley2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.02142   W -116.62266        Elev: 4,243 Feet
    Turn right here to go toward Gold Valley, Black Smith trailhead or Willow Canyon trailhead. Left is shorter to Black Smith TH but rougher.
  7. extGoldValley3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.04561   W -116.65862        Elev: NaN Feet
    Turn right here to go toward Willow Canyon. Turn left to go to Black Smith trailhead.
  8. tWillowCreek          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.04895   W -116.68862        Elev: 2,640 Feet
    Trailhead for Willow Creek.
Willow Canyon 3 - Approach from Upper Trailhead
  1. tWillowCreek          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.04895   W -116.68862        Elev: 2,640 Feet
    Trailhead for Willow Creek.
  2. wWillowRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05024   W -116.69149        Elev: 2,533 Feet
    Trail drops down to wash then goes back to the left side again to bypass the next spring.
  3. wWillowRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.04979   W -116.69582        Elev: NaN Feet
    Trail starts up out of wash and bypasses a spring by staying higher on the right side of the canyon.
  4. yWillowTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05233   W -116.70125        Elev: 2,150 Feet
    Top Entry for Willow Canyon. There is a down climb of about 8 feet here.
Willow Canyon 4 - Canyon and Exit
  1. yWillowTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05233   W -116.70125        Elev: 2,150 Feet
    Top Entry for Willow Canyon. There is a down climb of about 8 feet here.
  2. dWillowR1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05358   W -116.70231        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 1 in Willow Canyon. Anchored from large tamarisk stump and drops 35 feet over 2 stages.
  3. wWillowRP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05431   W -116.70319        Elev: 2,000 Feet
    Drop of about 15 feet which is bypassed by climbing around high LDC.
  4. dWillowR2-3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05166   W -116.70877        Elev: 1,620 Feet
    Raps 2 and 3 in Willow Canyon. Rap 2 anchored from a tamarisk tree and drops about 35 feet down a water fall and can be climbed around if desired. Rap 3 anchored from dead tamarisk (new anchor should be found) and drops about 30 feet over 2 stages along flowing water in a chute.
  5. dWillowR4-5          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05187   W -116.70999        Elev: NaN Feet
    Raps 4-5 in Willow Canyon. Rap 4 anchored from 2 bolted hangers RDC and drops about 80 feet down a trickling water fall. Rap 5 starts at the ledge below rap 4. Rap 5 is anchored anchored from a tamarisk tree and drops about 70 feet along the lower portion of the trickling water fall and slightly sloped most of the way down. Combination of raps 4 and 5 is what Brennen's site listed as the 170 foot rapel.
  6. dWillowR6-7          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05185   W -116.71240        Elev: NaN Feet
    Raps 6-7 in Willow Canyon. Rap 6 anchored from 2 bolted hangers LDC and drops about 60 feet down a water fall. Rap 7 is from the ledge at the bottom of rap 6. Rap 7 is anchored from 2 bolted hangers RDC and drops about 70 feet along the lower part of the water fall.
  7. dWillowR8-9          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05229   W -116.71323        Elev: NaN Feet
    Raps 8 and 9 in Willow Canyon. Rap 8 anchored from 2 bolted hanger LDC and drops about 60 feet over 2 stages. Rap 9 is about 100 feet down canyon of rap 8. Rap 9 is anchored from 2 bolted hangers LDC and drops about 45 feet down two stages.
  8. dWillowR10          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05277   W -116.71584        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 10 in Willow Canyon. Anchored from 2 bolted hangers LDC and drops about 70 feet down a sloped water fall.
  9. dWillowR11          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05313   W -116.71874        Elev: 660 Feet
    Rap 11 in Willow Canyon. Anchored from 2 bolted hangers RDC and drops about 90 feet along a sloped water course.
  10. yWillowBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.05377   W -116.72026        Elev: 630 Feet
    Bottom Exit of Willow Canyon. Canyon starts to open up and it becomes obvious you are done with the technical section.
  11. pkWillowBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.06565   W -116.74483        Elev: -220 Feet
    Park car here for exit of Willow Creek.

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