Hidden Dunes are the largest sand dunes in Death Valley without an official name given to them. Some call them Hidden Dunes, while others call them Marble Canyon Dunes. Personally, I prefer Hidden Dunes because it is a fitting description, and hearing the name Marble Canyon Dunes might lead people to think the dunes are near Stovepipe Wells. After conquering the other five major dunes in the park, I needed a new mission for this trip. So I looked carefully at my maps, talked to a few park regulars, and also checked in with park rangers. It was then that I learned about the Hidden Dunes, which are often overlooked since they are in such close proximity to the amazing Eureka Dunes. To reach Hidden Dunes, we drove down the Eureka Valley Road about 3 1/2 miles, and then turned west. After driving a sandy road for a few miles with a lot of ups and downs over drainages, we reached the parking area at an old well and set up camp for the night. Because we arrived at the Eureka Valley Road after dark, we had trouble spotting this side road, even though we searched for about a half an hour. We drove back and forth three times along the one mile stretch where the road was supposed to be. Finally, we gave up and pulled over the truck to set up camp for the night, figuring it would be easier to find the road in the morning. To our surprise, just as we started unpacking, one of my friends said 'hey, isn't that the road?' I looked over and sure enough, we happened to park in the exact spot where the road was. We all hopped back in the truck and took the road to the end. The mistake we made was checking every turn-off, which just happened to be washes. If we had looked due west while driving, we would have seen it easily.
The next morning, the four of us woke up early and began hiking the 3.2 miles across the Eureka Valley floor. The hike out is essentially on level ground and took about one hour each way. It's really easy and the only thing you need to do is pay attention as you're walking to make sure you don't sink into a snake hole. As you can see in the third picture, Hidden Dunes are faintly visible in between the two ranges, so it was obvious which direction to hike. All along the way, I could look off to my left and admire the Eureka Dunes from a distance. Once I reached the Hidden Dunes, I began taking photos and walking along the ridge lines. As you can see in the photos, the ripples in the sand caused by the wind are quite beautiful. While my friends (Ryan, Brandon, and Loren) relaxed on the highest dune peak, I spent a good amount of time exploring the area. In summary, I was very impressed with the Hidden Dunes, which are now my second favorite set of dunes in the park.
The next morning, the four of us woke up early and began hiking the 3.2 miles across the Eureka Valley floor. The hike out is essentially on level ground and took about one hour each way. It's really easy and the only thing you need to do is pay attention as you're walking to make sure you don't sink into a snake hole. As you can see in the third picture, Hidden Dunes are faintly visible in between the two ranges, so it was obvious which direction to hike. All along the way, I could look off to my left and admire the Eureka Dunes from a distance. Once I reached the Hidden Dunes, I began taking photos and walking along the ridge lines. As you can see in the photos, the ripples in the sand caused by the wind are quite beautiful. While my friends (Ryan, Brandon, and Loren) relaxed on the highest dune peak, I spent a good amount of time exploring the area. In summary, I was very impressed with the Hidden Dunes, which are now my second favorite set of dunes in the park.
First glimpse of Hidden Dunes between the hills:
We camped by the old well the night before our hike. You can see the road that leads east from here to the Eureka Valley Road:
The old well area has a few ruins scattered around it that are worth checking out:
The walk across Eureka Valley is flat and easy going. It's just a matter of dodging some small plants and snake holes:
Before reaching the Hidden Dunes, we passed by these black hills where sand has encroached and climbed up the hillside:
The closer you get to the Hidden Dunes, the more sand you can see above the gap:
My friends walking behind me across Eureka Valley:
Finally reaching the base of Hidden Dunes:
Beginning the climb up the untouched sand which receives very few visitors:
This is what I call a perfect ridge line to walk across and admire:
Looking off to the left while climbing up, the steepness of the dunes becomes evident:
Looking off to the right, it's not so steep, but rather an endless field of sand:
Absolutely spectacular ripple designs in the next three pictures:
Climbing up towards the highest lower peak on the Hidden Dunes:
It was quite a fun journey to hike along this ridge on October 24, 2007:
Once again admiring the patterns in the sand in the next two pictures:
Looking back out towards Eureka Valley far in the distance:
A couple of pictures of Steve standing near one of the early high sand peaks:
(Closest to farthest) Looking back at Loren, Ryan, and Brandon. They unanimously called our visit to the Hidden Dunes to be the Fall 2007 trip highlight:
The sandy landscape is constantly changing out here:
Looking off to the west towards the mouth of Marble Canyon (Saline Range):
And this is looking due north towards the Big Pine Road:
Looking east back through the gap we had first entered Hidden Dunes through:
We found no human tracks and very few animal tracks on this day:
I really don't think many people visit the Hidden Dunes. In fact, it's safe to say that the general public doesn't even know that these dunes exist:
Continuing to the south now, the Hidden Dunes wrap around and continue gaining elevation:
Just ahead was a towering mountain of sand to climb up:
The landscape became quite eerie at this point. Notice the purple colored sand and rocks up on the hillside to the right:
Far off in the distance, you can see how the Hidden Dunes continue with a section climbing high up the mountain:
Zooming in on this interesting section. We didn't have time to hike over and check it out in person:
Instead, I followed the ridge I was on as it wrapped around and headed up this nearby hillside:
The Hidden Dunes are quite tall throughout. Their height is one of the things that makes these dunes so special:
Spotting a green bush sitting in the middle of the dunes:
This is the point where the sand of the dunes collided with the rocky hillside:
The backdrop of the Saline Range adds to the beauty of the Hidden Dunes:
One of my friends getting ready to head down the mountain of sand:
Walking near the bottom as we started heading back:
Another one of my friends standing at the top of this picture. It was around this time that a military jet crashed our party and buzzed us, as it flew directly above the Hidden Dunes:
Plant life growing out the sand in the Fall:
And a Fall wildflower bloom brightening up the surroundings:
As we were crossing back towards our camp and parking area, the Eureka Sand Dunes absolutely dominated the landscape:
Zooming in to the southeast to get a clearer view of the Eureka Dunes:
This final picture was taken from the Big Pine Road. Almost exactly in the center of the picture is the Hidden Dunes. Most people drive by and don't even realize that there is a set of sand dunes located here: