4x4 Trails:
Lippencott Grade
Racetrack to Saline Valley; Death Valley National Park, California

Updated May, 2008with new trail conditions and photos!

Though short, this trail is oh, so sweet! The Lippincott grade runs between Saline Valley and Racetrack Valley in Death Valley National Park, California. The trail has a tainted reputation for being high in pucker factor, meaner than a sidewinder (and about as crooked) and eats modified Jeep Wranglers for a light snack.

But that, apparently, was in the old days. Today the Lippincott is pretty much kept in reasonable shape by passers-by, off road clubs, and isn't that scary for anyone with more than a few miles under their off road tires. The route can be run from either direction – coming down it's generally a cinch; going up requires little more skill or effort. The road's surface is hardpacked and has mild to considerable bedrock in places. There are no cliffs (although very steep in places, and the canyon bottom is pretty far down there) and no off-camber sections as of my last running of the grade.

Of course, being that this is WAY out in the middle of nowhere, any run of the mill sprinkle or thundershower can turn things completely different fast. And if one is spending too much time enjoying the scenery and not the trail, things can turn ugly in a hurry, too; especially if that ugly scenario involves a 4x4 bounding end over end and into the bottom of a canyon with no one coming along in a while. This is wild country out here, with long distances to obtain help. This is one of the most remote parts of California.

The Lippincott Grade winds down from the Racetrack Valley into Saline Valley, intersecting the main north-south route through that valley in its southern end. The road's total elevation drop is slightly less than 2,000 feet over a route just shy of seven miles. The upper portion of the route makes a leisurely drop, with a couple of dramatic viewpoints over Saline Valley. The lower section makes a leisurely meander after it appears the route is nearly to the Saline Valley floor. The second quarter of the road is the steepest and the third quarter the roughest. The western section runs the width of Saline Valley to the main north-south road through the valley.

The route has few places where two vehicles can pass – especially in the center section; so keep an eye out for oncoming traffic, especially if you are going downhill. It's customary for the downhill driver to back up to a point where two can pass. Fortunately, going downhill there are several places where you can see uphill traffic a couple miles away and have plenty of time to find a spot to pull off.

This route can be taken year round. However, there is a chance for snow coverage on the upper portion in season and muddy conditions in wet weather. In summer, temperatures on the Saline Valley floor will be high (often near 115°), though not as extreme as nearby Death Valley or the valley bottom of Saline Valley. However, it will be hot enough to take engine temperature into consideration, especially climbing up the Lippincott or climbing out of Saline Valley via the South or North passes. The higher Racetrack Valley is more moderate, although temperatures often go over 100° during the summer months.

There is backcountry camping anywhere in Saline Valley or you might want to camp at the Lower Warm Springs or Palm Spring about an hour north in the east-central portion of Saline Valley (public nudity is generally practiced, outdoor showers, well maintained and clean standard Park Service bathrooms). In Racetrack Valley, there is camping only a quarter mile south of the start of the Lippincott road at what is referred to on Death Valley National Park maps as “Homestake Dry Camp.” There are no clear camp sites, tables or fire rings. Only a porta-potti is provided.

The Lippincott route can be used as a nice loop utilizing nearby Hunter Mountain or an alternative entrance into Saline Valley.

Be aware that the entire road and those leading to it are inside Death Valley National Park and subject to the $20 entrance fee (no fee if you have the Golden Age passport or the new generic national park pass recently issued). The nearest point to pay is either Stovepipe Wells Village or Grapevine Ranger Station. In Saline Valley, everything east of the main road is inside the DVNP boundary. West of the road is outside the park.

To Reach the Lippincott Grade from the Furnace Creek complex in Death Valley, drive north along CA190 about 17.4 miles to the junction with the north Death Valley road (signed for Beatty, Nevada and Scotty's Castle). If you are staying at Stovepipe Wells, simply drive east on CA190 for about 7.3 miles to the north Death Valley road. Once you access the northern road through Death Valley, continue north toward Scotty's Castle for about 33.4 miles to the turnoff to Scotty's Castle. Continue straight ahead and north along the same road you've been traveling on, which will be signed for Ubehebe Crater and continues for another 5.3 miles; where a sign will indicate a dirt road taking off to the right for The Racetrack.

Turn here onto the dirt road (or continue on a short distance to tour Ubehebe Crater and then return here) and continue along the often washboarded but otherwise easy dirt road for 19.5 miles to Teakettle Junction. At the whimsical sign festooned with all sorts of teakettles of dubious parentage (great photo op), continue ahead into Racetrack Valley, with the obvious Racetrack playa in full sight.

The Racetrack playa is famous for it's moving rocks, which are located near the southeastern edge of the playa. All sorts of theories abound as to their kinetic movement – from mud to magnetism to aliens; most rocks leaving obvious tracks visible on the surface.

From Teakettle Junction, it is 9.5 miles to the start of the Lippincott Grade road and 9.9 miles to the end of the road at the Homestake Dry Camp.

A bit more than a quarter mile from where the Lippincott Grade road takes off from the Racetrack Valley road, a very faded wooden sign says that you're on the Lippincott road, along with other warnings too faded to read. Note – May, 2008: The sign has been refurbished, with large block letters affixed to the original and repainted backboard.

If you are coming in from Lone Pine and CA190: From US395 take CA136 east-southeast at the southern edge of Lone Pine. At the junction of the two roads is the Interagency Center, where information, maps and books can be obtained. Continue southeast on CA190 for about 17.5 miles. Here, CA190 comes in from Olancha and the route ahead now becomes CA190. Continue along CA190 for 17.1 miles to the signed turnoff to Saline Valley.

Drive north on the Saline Valley road. This road is often rough. It was paved at one time for a few miles, but now marked with potholes large enough to do suspension and tire damage if you hit one hard enough. Keep your speed down, even though it's easy to give in to the temptation to run much faster.

The Saline Valley road will gradually climb into the Nelson Range and just hit the piñon belt and then reaches the summit and drops into the head of Grapevine Canyon; which then steeply descends to allow passage into Saline Valley. As you drive north down the slope once inside Saline Valley, you might notice a prominent road running straight to the base of the mountains to the east. At 25.7 miles you will come to a large pile of rocks where the straight road meets the main Saline Valley road. The road running east is the western section of the Lippincott Grade road.

An important note: In winter, the main road to Saline Valley is signed closed. The county merely places a street barricade in the middle of the road next to the intersection with CA190 with a road closed sign. The road may or may not be closed depending on weather and the efforts of those adventurous enough to attempt driving into Saline Valley this time of year. Snow storms often close the road for days or weeks, as Grapevine Canyon is often ice or snowbound, especially after heavy snowstorms. Be prepared to stay longer than you anticipated! If you encounter snow deep enough to stop you from exiting Saline Valley, simply return to Racetrack Valley by retracing your drive over the Lippincott Grade.

An alternative to enhance your visit to western Death Valley National Park is to incorporate the Steele Pass route, using the hot springs in the valley as a camp spot.

Below are thumbnailed images that I've taken of the Lippencott Grade. Click on any image to open to full size. The photos depict the Lippincott Grade as run from Racetrack Valley down into Saline Valley.

Updates:

May 9, 2008: I traveled the Lippincott east to west (downhill) with a group of three other vehicles. We exited Saline Valley via South Pass. I noticed deterioration of the road's surface in the year since I last visited the trail. Considerable precipitation the previous winter eroded the trail in many sections, many of which were filled in with rocks by passersby. The large area that experienced sloughing off, braced by chainlink fencing, has enlarged considerably while making the trail much narrower; spotting will be useful for drivers of large vehicles to keep from dropping your vehicle off the road. Rocky sections along the trail have become much worse. Many large boulders have rolled down onto the roadway, although none are insurmountable. The vehicles that traveled with me were Graham C. in his '00 Tacoma TRD 4WD pickup, a modified Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and a stock Hummer H3 without the off road package. None of us had any difficulty running the trail downhill.

©2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 D.A. Wright
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Page Revised: 05/16/2008