Bike the Parks

Parks / California, Nevada

Death Valley National Park

Winter-only desert epics on paved and dirt roads below sea level and over mountain passes.

4/5
Great riding

Hundreds of miles of paved and dirt roads through a surreal desert, but only rideable in the cool season.

Riding here

Death Valley is a cool-season cycling destination of huge scale: paved roads to Badwater Basin below sea level and up to Dante's View, the one-way Artists Drive through colored hills, and backcountry dirt roads like Titus Canyon for gravel and bikepacking adventures. From late spring to early fall it's one of the hottest places on earth and riding becomes dangerous.

Where you can ride

Bikes may use paved and dirt roads and the bike path near Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

Where you can't

No bikes off roads, on trails, on closed roads or in wilderness. On most backcountry dirt roads, wilderness begins 50 feet from the road's centerline.

Rides

  • Badwater Road

    • Road
    • Furnace Creek to Badwater Basin
    • Paved
    • Moderate

    South along the valley floor to the lowest point in North America. Flat-ish but exposed.

    Start: Furnace Creek

  • Artists Drive

    • Road
    • 9 mi one way
    • Paved
    • Moderate

    A one-way loop with short steep climbs through the multicolored Artist's Palette hills.

    Start: Off Badwater Road

  • Twenty Mule Team Canyon

    • Gravel
    • 2.7 mi one way
    • Dirt
    • Easy

    A short one-way dirt road through pale badlands.

    Start: Off CA 190 east of Furnace Creek

  • Titus Canyon Road

    • Mountain bike
    • 27 mi one way
    • Dirt and rock
    • Hard

    A one-way backcountry road over the Grapevine Mountains and through a narrow canyon. Check conditions first; storms close it.

    Start: Off NV 374 near Beatty

When to go

November to March. Summer temperatures are deadly.

Safety

Carry at least a gallon of water per person per day in hot weather. Cell service is limited or absent. Honor all road closures and check conditions; weather changes them often.

E-bikes

The park's road pages don't address e-bikes; check with a ranger before riding one. Under the NPS e-bike rule, e-bikes are generally allowed where regular bikes are.

Fees

Arriving by bike, you pay the park's individual (per-person) entrance fee, normally valid for 7 days, or ride in on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Amounts change, so check the park's Fees & Passes page.

Rentals, tours and shuttles

  • Your bike shop hereSample listing

    This spot is for one rental shop, guide service or shuttle near Death Valley: your name, what you offer, and a link straight to your booking page, at the top of this section.

    Feature your shop on this page, free until spring 2027

Run a shop near Death Valley? Add it here.

Sources

Checked November 2026 against these sources. Rules, closures and fees change; confirm with the park before you ride.

  1. Backcountry Roads — Death Valley (NPS)

Edited by David Bussell. Spot something out of date? Tell us.

Nearby parks