Going into my Fall 2010 trip I was looking for another outstanding Death Valley exclusive which I could hike. I'm always trying to find impressive hikes in the park which are off the grid and unknown to most park visitors. Thankfully, a good friend of mine who works in the park told me about Funeral Slot Canyon. He actually told me about it a couple of years ago, but this was my first opportunity to hike into it and see it firsthand. That's how backed up I am on destinations that I've been trying to get to. Just as I fully expected it to be, Funeral Slot Canyon turned out to be outstanding. The main feature is nearly 3/4 of a mile of incredible high-walled narrows in a setting much like you would find in Sidewinder Canyon or Mormon Point Canyon. My friend feels that Sidewinder Canyon is superior by a small margin, but personally I liked Funeral Slot Canyon better... mainly because the narrows went on for so long and they were incredibly scenic. I would easily place Funeral Slot in my Top Ten list of Death Valley canyons. To reach Funeral Slot, the starting point is at Texas Springs Campground. As my Google Earth map shows (click to enlarge), the key is to follow the main wash which is north of the campground until you reach a junction. At the junction, take the left wash and follow that up towards the source, which is Funeral Slot Canyon. The narrows start a ways into the canyon and there is a critical junction after the first stretch of narrows. The canyon splits and you need to stay left once again to be in the narrows of Funeral Slot. Much later on in the canyon there are a few easy climbs and a few medium climbs in order to see the entire narrows. It really seems like they go on forever. After the narrows, the canyon opens up again as it enters a pretty section reminiscent of Artists Palette and then dead ends at a double dry fall. The hike is 4 miles one-way with an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet. It took our group 5 hours round-trip to see everything. This is a perfect hike to do if you are staying at Furnace Creek, Sunset campground, or Texas Springs campground. Since I first did this hike and shared my report, many others have hiked out here to see Funeral Slot Canyon for themselves. One hiker even nicknamed this area Furnace Slots, although I am sticking with the original name of Funeral Slot Canyon which is recognized by those in the park service.
The pictures in this Trip Report are also available for viewing in a slideshow format. Click the button on the left to watch the slideshow. This allows for viewing larger images with an autoplay option and a full screen option. The pictures may also be viewed in the standard Trip Report format by scrolling down below.
Parking spot is just off the road before reaching Texas Springs campground. Sunset campground and Furnace Creek can be seen in the distance:
As we headed off into the wash north of the campground, we saw several campers staring at us, wondering where we were going:
For a while we followed the horse trail up the wash:
Fairly easy walking with nice scenery. This whole area is quite scenic, as you know if you've spent any time exploring the Texas Springs area:
This is a panoramic of the junction in the wash with the Funeral Mountains in the background (click to enlarge):
We stayed left at the junction and continued hiking. The next two pictures show Tiffany hiking up the wash:
Finally arriving at the mouth of Funeral Slot Canyon:
I took this picture of the girls entering the canyon. Notice that Daria (right) is covering her face. There was an extremely bitter cold wind blowing which made hiking difficult. Off in the distance you can actually see dust storms being created by the wind:
We have finally left Texas Springs and Furnace Creek far behind as the good stuff begins:
The next four pictures show some of the high walls and unique compositions early on:
The narrows are just ahead at this point:
Daria standing at the colorful entrance to the Funeral Slot Canyon narrows:
The next three pictures show the humble beginning to the narrows, as the walls slowly began building in height:
Absolutely perfect ground to walk on through the narrows:
The walls continued to grow in height around every corner:
Wow. You can just tell that this place is going to be fantastic up ahead:
The girls loved this canyon. It was their trip highlight by far:
The next two pictures show examples of the rugged texture making up the canyon walls:
This spot is cool because it kind of looks like someone's hand reaching down to grab a top hat off the ground. Or maybe I'm just imagining things again:
Okay, this place is officially awesome. But it's about to get a whole lot better:
Reaching a major junction in the canyon. Funeral Slot Canyon continues to the left. We did explore the right side canyon as well. It had some nice stuff but wasn't nearly as interesting:
Heading into one of the longest stretches I have ever seen of towering narrows in the park:
An abrupt, sharp turn in the narrows:
The narrows briefly deposited us in this more wide open area. We finally had a moment to catch our breath:
Tiffany looking out from behind a fallen obstacle which we had to work around:
Yes, we really are headed straight ahead into what looks like the end, but is simply more stunning narrows:
Climbing up a staircase of fallen boulders. The girls stopped at this point while I pushed on to the end:
Imagine walking through a place this beautiful and stunning. It's really hard to believe:
Final boulder jam guarding exit from the endless narrows:
And the canyon returns to normal after almost 3/4 of a mile of outstanding narrows:
Now that I was finally out of the narrows, the walls dropped in height:
Approaching the end of the passable canyon:
The two stage dry fall which brings an end to the hike:
Steve at the bottom half of the two stage dry fall. After this, it was time to start heading back down the canyon:
Looking up at the sky while circling through an amazing part of the narrows:
Tiffany, Steve & Daria together to experience yet another outstanding Death Valley canyon:
Steve squeezing through the obstacle to continue in the canyon:
Heading back down towards Texas Springs and Furnace Creek:
These narrows were not straight flat walls, but rather they bulged out:
A variety of light and dark rock colors on display:
Notice how the left wall dramatically leans over above the wash:
Steve getting a picture at this spot before moving on:
We could easily touch both sides of the canyon walls much of the time:
Pristine, beautiful narrows:
The two girls walking between towering walls:
Just enough sunlight filters into the canyon to highlight the beauty:
Water and wind has sculpted this place through the millenniums:
A very large outcropping of rock high above our heads:
Moving on back into more glorious narrows:
Walking under a huge overhang:
Most of the canyon walls would lean one way or another:
The wash remained very narrow and easy to walk on:
Looking up at the sky above the canyon:
This was yet another large overhang that we were walking under:
Contrasting the girls once again with the towering walls:
Sunlight shines into the canyon:
Last section of canyon before a tougher obstacle presents itself:
Walking under a boulder which didn't quite make it to the ground when it fell:
Another quick turn in the canyon:
Yet another wedged boulder of immense proportions:
Squeezing through a very narrow spot in order to continue:
In this section of the canyon, the walls and boulders got really twisted:
Light shining through the narrow opening in the walls:
Still interesting narrows to walk through quite far into the canyon:
Walking under the final overhead boulder:
Up ahead, I could see a variety of colors on display:
Definitely a very pretty area and worth hiking to the end:
This spot reminded me of Artists Palette:
A few more obstacles to navigate in the wash: