6. Mosaic Canyon
Second in line of Death Valley’s slot canyons, Mosaic is a short and easy walk to the lower end of the national park. The journey is narrow, surrounded by pretty, multi-colored rocks, and enclosed by bigger marbleized formations. You start trekking from the parking lot, and soon enough, you’re walking among scalloped, wavy rocks smoothened from centuries of flash floods.
If you’re an avid hiker, there’s just enough scrambling and navigating through obstacles to keep things interesting. The slot canyon narrows and widens several times throughout the hike—the views are always changing along the way.
Since this is one of the more popular hikes in Death Valley, prepare to share the space with others. Mosaic Canyon is ideal for a great morning hike, so be the early bird and catch the worm.
7. Stretched Pebble Canyon
West of Grotto and Mosaic—two of the most visited slot canyons after the one in Borrego Springs—lies Stretched Pebble Canyon. It may be the road less traveled, but it’s simply stunning. The “stretched pebbles” in the canyon’s name are a geological phenomenon. They’re rocks and boulders squashed flat under the forces of heat and pressure but appear unchanged.
As ravines grow shallower north of the Tucki Mountains, dry falls and enclosed passages await your exploration. You’ll find that the stretched pebbles line the canyon walls everywhere, even providing footholds and handholds when climbing some of the easier pour-overs. Since the canyon climbs are quite steep (dry falls up to 20 feet high), we suspect you might need to brush up on those bouldering skills.
The oddly gray, pyramid-shaped hills of Stretched Pebble Canyon are dotted with creosote bush, desert holly, and pygmy cedar. Fun fact—pygmy cedar doesn’t really thrive in similar terrain but seems to be growing quite happily here.