Titus Canyon•Death Valley NP

​00:00     Title
00:10     Beatty to Leadville Ghost Town
09:49     Petroglyphs
12:49     The Narrows

​Titus Canyon Road is a popular touring route during the spring wildflower bloom season and the majestic views certainly are rewarding. All it takes is a little bit of rain to bring the desert to life, while a winter of heavy rainfall will guarantee an extensive blooming season. Some years are better than others for desert wildflower blooms and the recent severe drought conditions have a negative effect. However, the mile high mountains surrounding Death Valley nearly always have some winter snowfall and there are high elevation meadow pockets that gain enough moisture for reliable blooms. 

Titus Canyon Road is a 26 mile one way touring route that begins just west of Beatty and Rhyolite, Nevada. This dirt road ends a few miles north of Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley. Titus Canton Road is closed seasonally for the winter and the best times of year for this trek are fall or spring, since the summertime temperatures tend to be well over 110º F. This moderately lengthy dirt road through the mountain pass canyons is a bit too rough for regular passenger cars and a 4x4 high ground clearance vehicle is recommended. 

The dirt road passes through several steep mountain dry washes, which can turn into raging rivers with heavy rain, so checking the weather forecast is best to do. Fortunately the road conditions are nearly always bone dry and the biggest concern for drivers will be flat tires. These mountains are composed of a wide array of rock strata and there are jagged shards to contend with on this trail, so a spare tire or a flat kit will help to prevent being stranded. This is also a popular biking trail and tire repair kit will come in handy for cyclists too.  

If the desert spring season wildflower flush turns out to be a dud, all is not lost because the majestic landscape will certainly make up the difference. This is a mineral rich region that has seen a wide range of geological events, so the terrain will naturally fascinate those who are into the earth sciences. There are towering rhyolite bluffs, volcanic peaks, granite outcrops and all sorts of mineral rich veins running through these mountains that create mesmerizing colors and textures. A landscape artist will have plenty of subject matter to choose from, especially if one is lucky enough to do this trip during an extensive spring wildflower bloom.

Titus Canyon Road used to be the only road heading west into Death Valley, so plenty of history was made along this dusty trail. There are several points of interest along the way that include Leadfield Ghost Town, an ancient indigenous rock art site and the infamous Titus Canyon Narrows. Leadfield is an interesting study in itself, because this mining camp was established back in the 1920s at a time when get rich quick investment schemes were running rampant throughout the Death Valley region. A few tin buildings and concrete slabs still remain. Leadfield will fascinate visitors of all ages, so be sure to set aside ample time when touring Titus Canyon.

Death Valley actually used to be a gigantic lake about 2,000 years ago, so this environment was not as forbidding as it is now in modern times. Where there is water in the desert there is life and evidence of ancient civilizations exist throughout this entire region. Consecutive periods of severe drought have plagued the entire southwest during the last thousand years and just like the name suggests, Death Valley is now one of the most unforgiving places on earth. The only way to survive is to know where the hidden fresh water springs are located, but drinking the alkaline ground water in this region will make a person absolutely sick. Fortunately ingenuity abounds and the local tribes in this desert were experts at distilling the bitter water to make it palatable. 

West of Leadfield the road enters a deep dry wash canyon that becomes narrower the further one goes. Just before entering the Titus Canyon Narrows, there is a lush green oasis with a small seepage spring on the side of the road. Cattail reeds and flowering plants mark the spot and right next to the spring is an ancient newspaper rock. The rock art caricatures mostly depict the food resources in this region, which are interesting to see. During my visit a Death Valley tour guide showed up and started reciting the long history of this spring and to my surprise, he pointed to a spot way up top on the cliff where evidence of an ancient village can be found. The added insight confirms that this tiny freshwater spring has a very long history, so be sure to check it out when taking on the Titus Canyon 4x4 tour.

The final leg of the long dirt road tour runs through the Titus Canyon Narrows, which is truly an intriguing sight to behold. The Titus Canyon Narrows are also a hiking destination and there is a parking area in Death Valley at the mouth of this slot canyon. Titus Canyon Road actually is a one way street because the pathway is so narrow, so doing the footwork is the only option for going uphill into the narrows. 

Either way a visitor chooses to get to this unique geological area will be rewarding, because there will be more than a mile of captivating slot canyon narrows to explore. Speaking of geology, this canyon is a dream come true for earth science enthusiasts, because the powerful flash floods of the past have cut through the bedrock strata to reveal some one of a kind metamorphic rock formations and complex sedimentary deposits that can be seen nowhere else.

As far as photographing the Titus Canyon Narrows is concerned, those who use a point and shoot camera or a smart phone will have fewer headaches. Anybody that prefers a DSLR or mirrorless camera will quickly find that the lighting conditions will cause the dynamic range capabilities of the camera to go off the scale. A photographer will have to contend with jet black shadows and blazing overexposed highlights every time a picture is taken, so be ready to spin the dials. An ultra wide angle lens will also be needed, since the framing must be done vertical portrait style because of the nature of the narrow slot canyon. The Titus Canyon Narrows certainly are a challenge for a picture taker to overcome, yet the experience will certainly provide fond memories that will last a lifetime!