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Darwin Falls

America· Inspirations

I was excited about this hike and eager to start. A waterfall, in the middle of the desert! Wow. Darwin Falls is spring-fed and flows throughout the year. It is one of the only permanent water sources throughout the Death Valley area.

Dr E Darwin French, the 1850s prospector, camped here and the waterfall, canyon and the ghost town of Darwin were all named after him.

Road sign for Darwin Falls. Sign reads Day Use Only, No Camping, No Fires, High clearance, Hiking Trail

The turnoff to the trailhead is easy to miss from Highway 190, so you need to keep your eyes peeled. And once again, there is an unmaintained road to drive down. Our Minivan would make it and we knew that because we had already asked the Ranger at Stovepipe.

We drove down the two and a half miles of washboard road, with a fair few bumps and rocks to manoeuvre around. Also keeping an eye on the old water pipes with anticipation of what we would see. All of it soon culminated as we arrived.

The Trail to Darwin Falls

The trailhead starts at the carpark. It’s not a marked trail, but we found it easy to follow. All you have to do is follow the wash upstream through the canyon.

Sandy, stoney parking area and trailhead for Darwin Falls. Large, dry wash leading into a gorge Sing post with picture of Darwin Falls and information on area. There is a metal gate across entry to wash to stop cars.
The parking area and trailhead

The wash starts off being wide and very dry. The deeper we hiked into the gorge, it began to narrow, and vegetation began to appear.

Large dry wash with very little vegetation leading into a canyon
The trail leading into the wash

The walls of the gorge crept in ever closer and seem to rise higher as the air temperature began to cool. The setting changes drastically, and you feel as if you’re no longer in Death Valley.

Cottonwoods and willows growing along side of trail. There is a lady walking the trail away from the camera
Cottonwoods and willows appear

Cottonwoods and Willow trees line the trail. The muted sound of trickling water bounces off the boulders and lush vegetation sprouts from the Earth.

First sign of water in the canyon. With vegetation growing around the stream and some dead leaves floating on the water
The first sign of water
Hiking trail through the canyon with willows and cottonwoods near the water. The other side of the trail is a steep canyon side leading to Darwin Falls

We passed an old pumphouse of sorts, which of course is now dilapidated.

Remains of an old pump house on the side of the trail in the canyon. There are trees and lush vegetation growing
An old pump house

The Picturesque Views

High in the cliffs of the canyon, we saw what appeared to be a cave. I zoomed in to see what it was. A cave? A mineshaft? Or just shadows playing with my mind?

View of canyon side. sheer walls with what appears to be a cave near the top.
You can just see the cave

It was too high and rather precarious for us to explore, so we decided that we would leave it to our imaginations.

A zoomed in picture of what appears to be a man made cave or mine at the top of the canyon
I zoomed in on the cave
Willows and cottonwoods line the trail making it extremely picturesque. The branches and trunks of the trees twist and curl, some are over the trail.
Willows and cottonwoods line the trail making it extremely picturesque
the tree trunks and branches twist and curl along the dirt trail of the canyon leading to Darwin Falls
Lush vegetation along the fresh water spring
Lush vegetation growing along the freshwater spring

Several makeshift bridges allowed us to cross the streams.

A plank of wood adorns the stream allowing access to the other side of the canyon of Darwin Falls. One side there are large granite rocks, to the other, long grasses
One of several man-made “bridges” crossing the stream

We walked between little pools of clear water, tall grasses, and twisting tree limbs.

Large flat granite rocks on the floor of the canyon. Grasses are sprouting between the crevasse. There is a man walking away from the camera in the distance wearing a cowboy hat.
Steve on the wide rocks of the canyon floor
The man in the cowboy hat is traversing the stream over a makeshift bridge of rocks and branches. On the trail in the gorge
Steve traversing the stream

One section had us climbing over boulders for a lovely view of the terrain and down the other side.

Lady having to rock climb over boulders within the canyon to get to the other side
Now for some rock climbing!
Lady in baseball cap climbing down the other side of the boulders to get back to the canyon floor where there is water and vegetation
And down the other side

Almost as if the closer you get the more obstacles the canyon produces to keep the waterfall a secret.

Lady in baseball cap Balancing on a makeshift bridge of logs across the stream in the canyon. willows and cottonwoods are growing and grasses
Balancing on a makeshift bridge of logs

Darwin Falls

And there it was. A 25-foot waterfall in the middle of the desert. Cascading down the rocks, separating over a boulder near the bottom into an upside-down Y. The immediate reaction is awe; this is an extraordinary sight to see.

Waterfall cascading down grant rocks of canyon. The fall hits a large rock making the tumble of water split into an upside down Y shape before spilling into the pool below. there is grasses and other vegetation growing around pool at Darwin Falls in Death Valley
Well worth the hike


Apparently, there is a three-tiered waterfall above this one, for those of you who are adventurous enough to climb the granite walls.

We were satisfied with seeing this marvel, and after spending about 20 minutes taking in the view, and chatting with other hikers, we returned the way we came.

(We were informed later by Jay, a longtime resident of Darwin, that there are fifteen falls. The only safe access is, however, from the top of the canyon.)

Our Take on Darwin Falls

I can say that this is honestly one of my favourite hikes of Death Valley. As with all the trails we’ve done in the park, the scenery is breathtaking. In a completely different way, this time. It becomes lush green, and the sound of water makes it so serene.

It was definitely worth the bumpy ride, and we certainly would hike here again. As Death Valley has revealed yet another pleasant surprise, we climb back in the van with smiles ready to explore some more.

in a nutshell

  • Off of Highway 190 near Panamint Springs
  • Approximately 1-mile west of Panamint Springs
  • The Old Toll Road is on the left before you reach a large bend on HWY 190
  • 2.5-mile unmaintained road to the trailhead
  • Although not suitable for RVs, we did see one at the trailhead
  • The trail is not marked – follow the wash and up through the gorge
  • Easy 1.9-mile there and back
  • Some streams to cross and rock scrambling
  • This area is a sanctuary for wildlife and the water source for Panamint Springs – therefore NO swimming is allowed
  • No bathing or paddling in the water
  • Keep off the vegetation
  • Do not feed wildlife or harass them in any way
  • As always – Pack it in – pack it out. Preserve this site for others to enjoy and the wildlife which depends on it

location map

Google location map showing proximity of Darwin Falls to trailhead
Location Map
  • For more inspiring places to visit in Death Valley, click the link below
EXPLORING DEATH VALLEY

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