57. Artists Palette and Natural Bridge Canyon in Death Valley National Park

https://youtu.be/2pC06fzuNq0

A spectacular array of colors adorn the hills of Artists Palette.

Tucked behind an unassuming yellow landscape, the rainbow of Artists Palette is the highlight along the Artists Drive Scenic Loop. Here, visitors marvel at an array of colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, pink, and green), splashed across the hills. These colors are from volcanic deposits rich in compounds such as iron oxides and chlorite, which creates a rainbow effect.

Stunning not only at Artists Palette, the Artists Drive loop winds through hills carved by the erosive power of water, and gives vistas of both the rugged Black Mountains and swirling white salt flats. While no maintained trails exist along this loop, several pull outs provide safe parking areas from which to explore this unique landscape on foot.

Although Artists Drive and Artists Palette are beautiful any time of day, sunrise and sunset provide additional shadows and changing light, further enhancing the allure of this incredible place.

When visiting Artists Palette, allow approximately 30 minutes to detour from Badwater Road along the one-way Artists Drive Scenic Loop. The drive begins 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of the Hwy 190/Badwater Rd. junction and has a length restriction of 25 ft. (7.6 m) due to sharp bends and large dips.

Natural Bridge Canyon in Death Valley National Park

he 2-mile round trip hike up Natural Bridge Canyon is a great trek for those interested in learning about the geological history of Death Valley National Park. Also, the natural bridge is just cool to walk under.

A panel at the trailhead provides illustrations of the various geological features visible in the canyon, making it easy for hikers to spot the faults, chutes, and mud drippings along the way.

From the panel, the trail quickly enters the mouth of the canyon. The gravel floor makes hiking uphill a bit tiresome (but hiking back down is a breeze). Half a mile from the start, the walls of the canyon narrow and the 50-foot tall natural bridge spans the canyon.

Differential erosion created the impressive bridge. This is the main attraction of the hike of course, but the canyon has more to offer.

Continue under the bridge and the canyon will bend past a dry falls that pours into the canyon. Thousands of years ago, a stream flowed into the canyon here. The long vertical chute was created when the canyon eroded much more rapidly than the stream bed above.

The trail then presents two easy obstacles. Scrunch down to get around a large bolder lodged in a narrow part of the canyon. Then cross a sloping marble dry falls, which can be easily climbed, before coming to a 20-foot dry falls that cannot. The trail stops here. Turn around and hike back out the canyon, enjoying another passage under the nature bridge.

To get to the trailhead: From Furnace Creek, drive 13 miles south on Badwater Road and turn east (left) on to a dirt road toward Natural Bridge Canyon. It is 1.5 miles from Badwater Road to the trailhead.

Trailhead address: Natural Bridge Road, Death Valley National Park, CA 92328

Trailhead coordinates: 36.28115, -116.7699 (36° 16′ 52.1″N 116° 46′ 11.6″W)

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