Thimble Peak is one of the best peak hikes in Death Valley as it includes a mandatory drive through scenic Titus Canyon and has a fairly obvious trail to follow which leads to outstanding views in all directions from the summit.  Difficulties encountered on the hike include having the proper high-clearance vehicle to reach the starting point and dealing with a few challenging sections near the top with minor exposure which might be difficult for those with a fear of heights.  A topographical map of the hiking route can be found by clicking on the button above.  GPS coordinates for the parking area at Red Pass are 36.828655, -117.032357.

Thimble Peak is a peak hike that has just about everything going for it.  The mileage is short, the rides in your vehicle both before the hike and after the hike are awesome, you are nearly always hiking on a well-defined path, the views are outstanding during the entire journey, Thimble Peak has the appearance of a true mountain summit climb, and the views from the top are essentially perfect and unbeatable (some of the best I have seen in the park, perhaps even better than Telescope Peak).  The drawbacks to the hike are minimal.  Basically, the requirement of driving Titus Canyon Road may be troublesome for some who only have passenger cars.  And the scramble at the end can be a bit challenging and intimidating.  I first hiked Thimble Peak in March of 2012 along with my sister Tiffany and friend Javan.  We all had a blast during the hike and really enjoyed it.  Some of the viewpoint highlights include seeing Mount Palmer, Grapevine Peak, Wahguyhe Peak, Corkscrew Peak, Tucki Mountain, Titus Canyon, Titanothere Canyon, central Death Valley, Nevada towards Beatty, the Cottonwood Mountains, the Mesquite Flat area, the top of the Inyo Mountains, and the top of the Sierras.  The hike is about 2 1/2 miles each way (it would be shorter in a straight line, but you are mostly hiking on switchbacks).  If you do this hike, print out the picture contained within this report which shows a close-up of Thimble Peak with the commonly followed path marked out.  I found a similar picture somewhere else on the internet and it really helped set my mind at ease during the hike.  Walking up to the base of Thimble Peak is kind of like walking up to the base of Half Dome.  Your first thought is: "how am I going to do this?"  But as you get closer, you realize that it is not as bad as it appeared from a distance.  But still, caution is in order during the hike up from the base, because there are a few areas where you could slip and tumble down thousands of feet below into Titanothere Canyon.  Our hike took place on March 5, 2012.

Many more photographs taken during our visit are available for viewing for this destination.  To see all of them, choose one of the two options presented below.  The two options are Slideshow viewing and Trip Report viewing.  The Slideshow option allows for viewing larger images with an autoplay option and a full screen option (available on most browsers).  This option works very well for large computer screens and tablets.  The Trip Report option allows for viewing smaller pictures in a standard scroll-down format and enlarging of any panoramic photos taken during our visit.  Click on the option of your choice to view all of our photos from this destination.  The Slideshow format opens in a new browser window and the Trip Report format uses the same browser window for viewing.