Driving the Echo Canyon Trail in Death Valley National Park

Today we drive Echo
Canyon Trail.

This trail is rated for high

 clearance vehicles for

the first three miles.

We drive past craggy
mountains.

We turn off the trail to

explore Inyo Mine.

Gold was found here in 1905.

This site is well preserved.

Equipment is staggered
down the mountainside.







Work started and stopped at Inyo Mine several times from 1907 through the 1930s.  The mine changed hands a number of times before closing in 1940.

The road gets rougher...

4 Wheel Drive Vehicles

with short wheel bases

are recommended.

The rocks beneath the tires

slide around as Eric tries

to drive up this incline.

With a running start, Eric tries

the incline again.... No luck.

We could get out & stack

 rocks to make the slope

 more gradual, but we don't.

It's time to turn around and head back toward pavement.

The Eye of the Needle
looms above the trail.

Ahead lies Death Valley's

Badwater Basin.