Death Valley -- Red Cathedral Canyon Trail

Not many hike this trail since it is unmarked. Too bad, it is the best hike in the park, going right along the ridgeline of the Red Cathedral Canyon walls, looking over Zabriskie Peak and the Badlands, finally reaching Manley Peak. As you get higher the views over the badlands and Zabriskie Point are other-worldy, the people at Zabriskie Point and the cars in its parking lot look like ants, and you can see far off into the distance California Hwy 190 heading southeast, with the Black Mountains on the west.

Click here for a large-format slideshow with detailed photos from this hike.

Word of warning on this hike. Do not try to get out by going west, it leads to a fault line that has created an impassable 30-40 drop off along its run, you cannot get beyond that line. We discovered it at our own peril -- we had only one choice, find a way out back via the Golden Canyon trail. We did that by backtracking, and then shimming down a steep cliff on our butts. Embarrassing. But it was a great experience...it was touch and go there for a while, what might have been dangerous, but all turned out for the best. A true adventure in the western U.S.