Panamint Dunes
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
There is zero shade on this entire route. Summer temperatures on the valley floor regularly exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, making this hike genuinely life-threatening from May through September. Carry a minimum of one gallon of water per person even in cooler months.
Navigation can be tricky on the featureless alluvial fan — the dunes are visible from the road, but distances are deceptive in the desert. Use a GPS track or compass bearing rather than relying on visual line-of-sight, especially if wind kicks up and reduces visibility.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
The unsigned trailhead is at a small pullout on the west side of Panamint Valley Road, roughly 5 miles south of the Panamint Springs Resort — set a GPS waypoint before you leave cell service, because you will not find it by guessing.
Bring gaiters or wear high-top boots. The final mile-plus is deep sand, and without gaiters you will be emptying your shoes every ten minutes. Trekking poles also cut your effort dramatically on the dune approach.
Time your visit for late afternoon when the dunes throw long, dramatic shadows and the sand cools enough to sit on. The light on the Panamint Range at golden hour is some of the best photography in the entire park — and you will almost certainly have it to yourself.
