Description: I’m not sure if we’re adventurers or just crazy, but when we looked up a route into Death Valley from Las Vegas, we saw a "short cut" into the Northern part of Death Valley called Titus Canyon Road. We read about this "short cut" on several tour company Web sites that operate out of Las Vegas, and they described it as a unique experience with spectacular scenery that cuts through a canyon pass.
Well, they mis-described it, and I’m not even sure I can do it justice myself, but I’ll give it a try.
We left Las Vegas, headed North on the I-95, made a quick stop-over in the very small town of Beatty, and then turned left on the 374. Now, normal people would’ve continued on the 374 into Death Valley, but not us. We turned right onto Titus Canyon Road. We did stop for a moment as our 4x4 vehicle (I wouldn’t take this road in a car if I was you) began to shake us around like a blender. We considered whether we should back up and take the paved route – but then, what would life be without a few off-road adventures? So, after taking our photo with the Death Valley National Park sign, we headed off down the VERY rough road.
Now, when I think "short cut" I think it will take us less time to reach our destination. That’s not the case here. This short cut may be shorter in distance, but takes focused driving and lots of pausing for potholes. It winds up – and then down – the mountains into the canyon.
However, the highlight of this path is reaching the canyon floor. The road is one-way, thank goodness, so you don’t have to worry about coming face-first up against an oncoming vehicle. So you can drive the road, which is flanked by the canyon walls, with more enjoyment for the scenery. It’s like something out of a James Bond movie – perhaps a good motorcycle chase that ends with the bad guys careening out of control into the sheer rock slopes. It was perhaps one of the coolest drives I’d ever been on, despite the mauling that the road had heaped on me.
At the end of the canyon, there is a parking lot, where people can drive from the other direction and park to walk into the canyon. So you may have to keep an eye out for pedestrians near the end of your journey. After the parking lot, another mile or so dumps you out onto the 190, which runs North and South through Death Valley and is – oh yeah – paved! Your butt never felt so relieved to see asphalt. Get it? Ass-phalt?
So, if you have a 4x4, a strong constitution and a hearty sense of adventure, this is a very interesting way to enter into Death Valley.
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