Darwin Falls
Panamint Springs, Death Valley NP · near Panamint Springs · California Desert
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 2 miles
- Elevation gain
- 275 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Nov–Apr · A rare year-round water source; the approach bakes in summer
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- $30/vehicle 7-day Death Valley NP entrance fee (card only). Day hikes need no other permit; overnight backcountry needs a free Recreation.gov permit.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Year-round spring-fed waterfall · Lush riparian oasis · Willows & cattails · Creek crossings
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- No swimming — the creek is a drinking-water source for Panamint Springs. Waterproof shoes help with the crossings.
The guide
The park's improbable secret: a 20-foot waterfall tumbling into a green, fern-draped oasis in the middle of the driest place in…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Darwin Falls — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.3278, -117.5147