4x4 Trails:
Steele Pass – Saline Valley to Eureka Valley
Death Valley National Park

Introduction

The Steele Pass route in western Death Valley National Park is very remote and sees relatively few travelers (is it Steele or Steel? Opinion seems split on spelling or origin of the name). This route runs between Saline and Eureka Valleys and crosses over the highlands between the two. The route can be run in either direction. This route also accesses the popular hot springs area of Saline Valley.

In this discussion I will focus first on the main trail; describing it as if running it south to north – Saline Valley to Eureka Valley – and break it down into sections for ease of description. Ample photos and maps will be presented for each section. Three short side trips will also be presented, each discussed at the end of this page.

At any time I visit all or part of the trail, I'll update each section with applicable photos. Such an addition came in March, 2008; when I went in as far as Marble Bath from the north. Numerous new photos were added.

Part 1 of this discussion will focus on accessing the southern and northern terminus' of the Steele Pass 4x4 trail and suggestion of several alternatives; as well as the trail between the Saline Valley Road and Steele Pass. Due to its length and sites along the way, it will be broken down into sub-parts.

Part 2 will focus on the route from Steele Pass northward to near the mouth of DeDeckera Canyon.

Part 3 will examine the bedrock stair-step section near the mouth of DeDeckera Canyon, as this is the portion of the trip that will be of most concern to those with low ground clearance or with limited off roading experience.

Part 4 will take the traveler the remainder of the way from the mouth of DeDeckera Canyon, around the Eureka Valley sand dunes, and to the Big Pine-Death Valley Road.

At the end of this page will be two short walks to scenic or interesting places.

Part 1-A: GETTING THERE – Access to Saline Valley Road and It's Junction With the Southern Terminus of the Steele Pass Route

At the junction of CA136 and US395 there is a substantial “Inter-Agency Center,” with plenty of information and representation from the Forest Service, the Park Service (Death Valley National Park, Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park) and other agencies. At the Inter-Agency Center is a great source for books and maps for this portion of California for sale, plenty of free brochures, and the site makes a great stop if you've never been to the area before (or even if you have) or to get out and stretch your legs or have a bite to eat at the ample shady and grassy areas within the compound.

Follow CA136 southwest past Keeler. A few miles southeast of Keeler, CA136 merges with CA190 at the southeastern corner of Owens Lake. At a point 34.5 miles southwest of Lone Pine via CA136 and CA190, there is a signed turnoff at the junction of CA190 and Saline Valley Road, located in the southern end of Santa Rosa Flat just before the highway enters Death Valley National Park and plunges down Rainbow Canyon and into Panamint Valley (if you are enjoying the scenery and pass the Saline Valley road, when you come across the large and prominent entrance sign to Death Valley National Park simply turn around and go back a short distance to the Saline Valley road).

If you come in from the small community of Olancha via CA190 all the way, it is 31.5 miles from US395 at Olancha to the Saline Valley Road. Olancha has limited services – a motel (located a few miles south of town), a gas station/convenience store (located a mile south of town) and a restaurant (about a half mile north of the US395/CA190 junction) and a funky little jerky shop that advertises the “World's Best Jerky” far and wide.

If you are coming in from Death Valley via CA190, it is about 44.1 miles from Stovepipe Wells Village to Saline Valley Road traveling CA190 all the way. Gas is available at Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs Resort. Expect gas prices considerably higher than what you are used to. Food and refreshment is available at both places, as are mini-marts.

As for the Saline Valley Road, be aware that elevations along the first portion of this road are high enough that snow can be a factor during winter months. Generally the snow months run between November through April; although it can and often does snow or snow can be found on the ground and roadway between early October to early May.

Often Inyo County places a small street barricade with a road closed sign at the junction with CA190. The road may actually be closed, more often the sign is meant to signify that travel is at your own risk.

I cannot stress it enough – always travel into this country prepared for a stay longer than you anticipated and for all kinds of weather – hot or cold or both. It may be hot in Saline Valley while deep snow lingers or falls in the upper elevations within the region outlined on this page.

North of the CA190 junction, the Saline Valley Road is somewhat paved for its first miles, but the pavement is in bad shape and low speeds and caution is highly advised to avoid damaging your tires or suspension on one of the countless potholes.

The road will cross Santa Rosa Flat, then meander about the Santa Rosa Hills in the first eight miles, then you will come to an intersection at 8.25 miles. Stay to the right, as the road ahead runs into the San Lucas Canyon region and the eastern Inyo Range.

Taking the fork to the right, the road will gradually climb up into the pass between the Nelson Range and Hunter Mountain. At a point about 14.75 miles along Saline Valley Road, you will cross over what is locally known as South Pass (not marked on the topographic maps) and drop into the uppermost portion of Grapevine Canyon. Since the road has exceeded 6,000 feet elevation in this vicinity, scattered stands of piñon pine are found through here.

At a point about 15.5 miles in from CA190, a road will branch off to the right. This road climbs and crosses Hunter Mountain and down into the Hidden and Racetrack valleys to terminate at Teakettle Junction. Continue ahead, downhill, along Grapevine Canyon.

Along the upper portions of Grapevine Canyon, be cautious as snow and ice tends to linger in here. Springs scattered along the bottom of the canyon at or near the road often produce enough water so that water is often found on the road itself. In the winter months, this means a solid sheet of rough ice is nearly always present, requiring special caution. It is common for folks to loose control in here, resulting in their vehicle well off the road and in the canyon bottom. Extraction of your vehicle will cost you a bundle if you need the services of the Auto Club (Miller Towing in Lone Pine); or the possibility of additional damage to your vehicle if a “Good Samaritan” with a winch extracts you. Or, after winter storms, this portion of the road can and will trap tourists in Saline Valley until snow melts enough that the more adventurous individuals with modified 4WD vehicles manage to get through and semi-open the road. This is the reason that Inyo County places the barricade in the road with a road closed sign. The road is not maintained in any form in winter. Be prepared!

At 20.4 miles along the way, Grapevine Canyon and the Saline Valley Road part company. The road meanders west through some smaller gulches then in about two-thirds of a mile will start to drop into Saline Valley itself. The elevation here is still nearly 4,000 feet. Saline Valley is a very large valley and looks are deceptive – it seems as if it's only a few miles to the hot springs area, but there's plenty of elevation yet to loose and it's still a very long way to go.

At a point 25.8 miles along the way since leaving CA190, a large pile of rocks will mark a road taking off to the northeast. This is the western terminus of the infamous Lippincott Grade. If South Pass and North Pass out of Saline Valley is closed due to snow (especially if you traveled Steele Pass north to south), this route could be your exit route out of Saline Valley, as elevations are more moderate along this route to Racetrack Valley and Death Valley. Or you could incorporate the Lippincott Grade as part of your western Death Valley National Park 4WD experience.

North of the terminus of the Lippincott Grade road, the Saline Valley Road will continue to drop into Saline Valley, trending its way to the western side of the valley. The road, though maintained annually, is often very washboarded and can be rather irritating. Though tempting to pick up your speed, I'd recommend you keep a sane speed through the valley to preserve your vehicle and peace of mind. Speed is what causes washboards to form on dirt roads. The last time I passed this way, the washboards were so severe that I couldn't stand speeds above 25 miles per hour as the noise inside my cab was deafening. At this speed, it's a long slog across the vastness that is Saline Valley! But I'm sure you didn't come out here only to be in a hurry anyway ...

Approaching the 37 mile point along the Saline Valley Road, a road will take off to the right (north) and several wooden towers are visible out onto the lake surface at the bottom of Saline Valley. This is the historic Saline Valley salt tramway that ran from this lake bed, westward over the Inyo Range and down to a point near Keeler on the shore of Owens Lake in Owens Valley during the early part of the 20^th Century. The tram carried salt extracted by dehydrating the salty waters of the lake on the valley floor. Salt miners also rode the tram as buckets often passed hundreds of feet over the ground in places as they climbed the steep canyons and ridges of the Inyo Range and down the other side. If you were enjoying the view of the sheer eastern face of the Inyo Range a couple miles before reaching this road, you might have caught sight of the tramway summit station – a very large wooden structure that molds itself over the knife edge of the range's summit and allowed the tram cables to course over the ridge-back – which is visible by the naked eye perched high atop the Inyo Range summit. Though you've traveled many miles and at least three hours or more to get to this point from the Owens Valley, it is only a bit more than 13 miles southwest along the tramway course over the Inyo Range to its western terminus at the range's western foot – less than fifteen minutes by vehicle from Lone Pine! For more information, photos and history of the tramway, check out my page on the Swansea Grade 4x4 Trail, which has historical and modern day photos of, as well as information about the tramway and the gigantic summit station complex.

At about the 37.9 mile point, the road will squeeze in between the steep foot of the Inyo Range and the salt lake of Saline Valley; which almost always has considerable water on it. Vegetation increases and the road passes through thickets of trees, grass, reeds and brush. The views are quite scenic in this vicinity. Ground water is often found on the road itself and it can get quite muddy; slick enough to slither around, though not enough so to swallow your rig.

North of the lake bed, the road will continue northward. To the east a short distance are a small set of sand dunes. Sighting beyond up a long arm of Saline Valley beyond them will also give you the gist of the route over Steele Pass.

Finally, at a point 45.5 miles since turning off CA190, you will come to the unmarked turnoff to the hot springs and the southern terminus of the Steele Pass route.

From the North

If you plan to access Saline Valley from the north, I recommend instead running the Steele Pass 4x4 route north to south from Eureka Valley to Saline Valley, instead of starting the Steele Pass 4x4 trail in Saline Valley. However, if you elect to run the route south to north, or plan on running the route after enjoying Saline's hot springs, then you need to utilize the Saline Valley Road from its northern terminus at the Big Pine-Death Valley Road near the summit of the Inyo Range.

If you are using Big Pine – located about 15 miles south of downtown Bishop on US395 – as an entry point, turn east onto CA168 just north of town. There is a campground here at the intersection and three large flagpoles with giant flags that will mark your turn. Big Pine has three motels, two campgrounds, a small grocery store and three gas stations with mini-marts. The Mobil gas station has available freshly made deli sandwiches. The Chevron gas station has a full kitchen cooking up tasty Mexican food – their large breakfast burritos are an area favorite – as well as freshly made and packaged deli sandwiches. The Union 76 station has a mini mart with packaged sandwiches and usual mini-mart fare.

The much larger town of Bishop, 15 miles north of Big Pine on US395, has far more choices for lodging, gas, facilities and services; as well as a substantial hospital and emergency room.

After traveling 2.3 miles east of US395 on CA168, crossing the Owens River and as you are approaching the bottom of the Inyo Range, a paved road will take off southeast, signed for Death Valley. The Big Pine-Death Valley Road will climb up into the Inyo Range, and in 13.1 miles junction with the northern terminus of signed Saline-Waucoba Road (referred to as the “Saline Valley Road” in the rest of this narrative).

Be aware that in winter months, Inyo County almost always places a street barricade with a road closed sign in the middle of the Big Pine-Death Valley Road at its junction with CA168. A barricade is also usually found at the junction of the Big Pine-Death Valley Road and Saline Valley Road as well. Inyo County does plow snow from the Big Pine-Death Valley Road over the Inyo Range, but it may be a day or two after any major storm before they do. Be especially careful of rocks that have fallen onto the road all along the way. And after major storms both summer and winter there may be sections of damaged or missing pavement due to high water runoff.

The elevation at the Big Pine-Death Valley Road and Saline Valley Road is 7,566 feet. The elevation will continue to stay high for quite a few miles before dropping into Saline Valley, and winter snow generally keeps the northern access to Saline Valley closed more often and for longer periods of time than at the southern access via Grapevine Canyon.

If you wish to travel the Steele Pass 4WD trail southward from its northern terminus, continue on past the Saline Valley Road about 23½ miles to the signed turnoff to the Eureka Valley sand dunes. The Big Pine-Death Valley road is paved until the floor of Eureka Valley is reached, then maintained dirt afterward. The turnoff to the road south from the Big Pine-Death Valley Road is the northern terminus of the route as described on this page.

If you are coming in from Death Valley, you can access the Saline Valley Road via the Big Pine-Death Valley Road. The signed road takes off from near Ubehebe Crater and is maintained dirt for much of the way. The road leads north from its junction with the Ubehebe Crater road, about 2.7 miles south of Ubehebe Crater, and 2.8 miles north of the turnoff to Scotty's Castle. At a point 20.9 miles north of the junction along the Big Pine-Death Valley Road, you will come to whimsical Crankshaft Crossing – a collection of auto engine blocks, crankshafts, and other odds and ends – where the main road will turn west and climb the Last Chance Range (the road heading north from Crankshaft Crossing runs into the Tule Canyon country just over the state line in Nevada). After topping the summit of the range at the old sulfur mining camp of Crater, the road will become paved and stay so descending the range until reaching the Eureka Valley floor. Just after the road turns dirt again, you will see the sign indicating the road heading south to the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes area. This junction is the northern terminus of our Steele Pass 4x4 trail route; the southern terminus is still a very long way aways mileage and time-wise, so you might want to reconsider running the route north to south if you are coming this way. The Big Pine-Death Valley road continues straight northwest across Eureka Valley, turning back to pavement just as it beings to climb the Inyo Range. The road remains paved the remainder of the way to Owens Valley. At a point about 56.2 miles from the junction near Ubehebe Crater, a couple of miles after crossing the summit of the Inyo Range, you will reach the northern terminus of the Saline Valley Road.

At the junction of the Big Pine-Death Valley Road and Saline Valley Road, turn southward on Saline Valley Road. The route will be maintained dirt the entire way. The route is bladed generally on an annual basis, thus usually washboarded much of the time. As is the situation with the route into Saline Valley from the south, in winter you are traveling at your own risk. Deep snow may trap you along the road, or you may be trapped in the valley. Always travel into this country prepared for a stay longer than you anticipated and for all kinds of weather – hot, cold or both.

The road will drop into Cowhorn Valley in about 3.5 miles. At about 5.6 miles from the Big Pine-Death Valley Road, the Saline Valley Road will suddenly drop into Marble Canyon. In about seven-tenths of a mile of twisting road, you will hit the bottom of Marble Canyon; where the road will swing suddenly eastward to follow the canyon downhill. Immediately, large wooden headframes and associated structures, semi-collapsed shacks and one fairly large abandoned dwelling will be found as you drive along the mile and a third that the road stays in the canyon bottom. These mining complexes are associated with a Depression era mining period; though mining took place all along Marble Canyon long before that – well back into the 1800s – and the larger dwelling appears to have been inhabited well into the 1960s or 1970s. Be careful poking about the headframes – each one stands sentinel over deep and usually unprotected or poorly protected mine shafts dropping deep into the earth.

At a point 7.6 miles after turning onto the Saline Valley Road, the road will suddenly swing south and exit Marble Canyon via the narrow mouth of Opal Canyon. If you wish to explore on down Marble Canyon further, a road will continue on down the canyon another mile and a half, where more collapsed or standing structures and headframes are found. Marble Canyon eventually empties itself into the western portion of Eureka Valley, though roadless.

Continuing along the Saline Valley Road, it will climb Opal Canyon and into piñon forested highlands as it heads for what is locally known as North Pass (not shown on maps); located at the head of Whippoorwill Canyon at about 12.1 miles along the Saline Valley Road from its junction with the Big Pine-Death Valley Road and at an elevation of about 7,325 feet.

The Saline Valley Road will drop down the lengthy distance of Whippoorwill Canyon and into broad and spacious Saline Valley. At a point 32.2 miles after leaving the Big Pine-Death Valley Road, you will come to the unsigned turnoff to the hot springs.

An Alternative Access Via Death Valley

If you wish to utilize the Steele Pass 4x4 route as part of a reconnoiter in western Death Valley National Park, I'd also recommend accessing the Steele Pass route via the Lippincott Grade. From the western terminus of the Lippincott Grade to the turnoff to the hot springs is 19.7 miles north along the Saline Valley Road.

If you are stuck in Saline Valley after a major winter storm has closed off both north and south accesses to the valley, the Lippincott Grade may provide a route to exit Saline Valley. Steele Pass can also be used to leave the valley, but then you may have to contend with snow at the summit of Steele Pass; or especially over the Inyo Range into Owens Valley; or even the Last Chance Range into Death Valley.

The Lippincott Grade barely tops 4,000 feet to access the Racetrack Valley, although the road out to Ubehebe Crater and Death Valley flirts with the 5,000 foot level on the way out. Snow could be a factor on this route, but the countryside is fairly open (except on the Lippincott Grade) and the sun will quickly melt any snow that is on the road. There is the potential for the Lippincott Grade to get snow on its upper half, but snow depth will rarely be a factor at this elevation.

Part 1-B: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Saline Valley Road to Palm Hot Spring

If you are new to the area, or have not been exposed to hot spring culture, be warned that most visitors spend much of the day completely nude here; though they tend to stay out of sight for the most part within the dense forest surrounding the springs. Those who practice nudism at hot springs do tend to adhere to an unwritten “hot spring etiquette” and are generally respectful of others so as not to offend or intrude. However, there are those individuals who walk about unashamed of their bodies anywhere and everywhere in the vicinity of the hot springs; or a game of volleyball or baseball might be taking place in plain sight – but the players aren't wearing uniforms. To those simply passing by, the chances of you catching sight of naked people is fairly low and brief. But there is a chance that if you stop to use the bathrooms while passing by, you may encounter more than you want your children to see.

If you plan on camping or soaking at the springs on your trip through here, there is no law – written or unwritten – that you must be nude. Families and individuals do enjoy their soak with swimming shorts and swimsuits; or walk about with a wrap, robe, towel or shorts. And if you want to be naked, you are free to do so. It's up to you. But if you use the springs, you and your children will likely be exposed to nudity.

On long weekends, some “partying” might take place, although a measure of self-policing is practiced by regular visitors and hot spring enthusiasts.

“Lizard Lee” is the official campground host, employed by the Park Service. His camp is on the south side of the Lower Warm Springs complex and he drives a white Suzuki Samurai hardtop with Park Service logos on its doors. Lee also mans HAM and Park Service radios that will bring in emergency personnel if a life threatening situation has occurred. He also monitors CB radio. The 2-Meter HAM radio frequency used in this area is 146.520 MHz.

Nearby is “Chicken Strip,” a simple dirt airstrip for those who wish to fly in to enjoy the springs.

At Palm Spring, 0.6 of a mile further along, the pickings are simpler. A vault-toilet building is found nearby. The spring itself is devoid of thick vegetation, but a few large palm trees are found that shade the pool. The hot spring pool is surrounded by an ample stone patio area with benches. Camping is found where you choose to park and set up camp.

Part 1-C: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Palm Hot Spring to Steele Pass

Driving along the path a mile and a half brings one to Upper Warm Spring. This spring is totally unimproved, though it can be used for bathing if you don't mind a very natural setting. The spring and riparian area around it is surrounded by a chain link fence, likely to keep feral burros out. The pool is fairly small but deep enough for bathing, with a firm gravel bottom. Heavy grass, reeds and a few small tamarisk trees surround the spring. A few well placed rocks are found upon which to sit in the water. Often people camp here and use this spring if Lower Warm Springs and Palm Spring is crowded or they wish for privacy.

Traveling 1.2 mile above Upper Warm Spring, sharp eyes might spot something off to the north. There is a small cabin about a third of a mile north of the trail. You've already passed the road farther back that accesses it, but it's easily overlooked as you are concentrating on the main trail's pathway. This cabin is known as the Burman cabin (sometimes spelled Berman), sometimes it's called the Murder cabin. The last name is somewhat sinister as it stems from a murder of a newlywed couple that were neighbors of the late Ronald Regan; who honeymooned at the hot springs years ago; they were murdered and their bodies found nearby. The last resident dabbled in mining until he died in the 1980s. It has been recently re-roofed and is usable as an Adopt-a-Cabin, complete with limited supplies (please leave something if you take something) and a register. Please respect it and help keep it clean for others as they have hopefully done for you.

Above the cabin, the pathway continues onward. There is nothing technical about this path and it's generally a firm gravel two track. Four-wheel-drive is likely not necessary following this course along the lower reaches; although I tend to keep my truck in 4WD when off pavement just to keep the front end and all mechanisms up there lubed; and to make it easier for the truck to continue forward progression instead of needless wheelspin. The course has gradually and subtly climbed along the way, and it's not until you exit your vehicle and look back do you fully realize that you've been climbing all this time.

At a point 10.9 miles above Upper Warm Spring, the road butts up against the Saline Range, turns parallel to it and begins to turn rough. The gullies that the trail follows have gradually gotten deeper and rockier as you have progressed to this point. The gravel is softer and contains more rocks and small boulders that poke through the trail's surface. A few narrow places in here put one's vehicle very close to the dried mud and rock perpendicular walls of the gullies, so watch your mirrors and body sides. Those with low clearance might feel better with a spotter in a few spots where large boulders within the road's surface require some maneuvering to clear. My Toyota Tacoma TRD 4WD experienced no clearance issues through here; though a friend with a fairly new Land Rover LR3 (considerably wider) nicked up one of his alloy wheels on a large rock trying to maneuver around it.

At 12.1 miles above Upper Warm Spring the trail enters a short canyon that is a bit more than 1,100 feet long, that lifts one up the final ascent to Steele Pass. There is one fairly tight kink in lower part of the canyon, which on my last reconnoiter through required some rocks to be removed to allow some room for the Land Rover in my group to pass.

In another 0.3 tenths of a mile, just as the road begins its final lateral to top the summit, a small canyon will run to your right (east). This canyon accesses Marble Bath, discussed in detail BELOW.

Another tenth of a mile (15.1 miles from Palm Spring) will land one atop 5,091 foot high Steele Pass.

At the summit, a separate road heads off to the east, into a canyon in the steep face of the Last Chance Range. That road, however, is CLOSED TO VEHICULAR TRAVEL. Though relatively short and increasingly steep, it offers some very scenic views and will be discussed BELOW.

Part 2: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Steele Pass to Bedrock Stairsteps in DeDeckera Canyon

The main Steele Pass route climbs again over 5,000 feet and will soon turn north. The road will top a subtle summit of 5,073 feet in elevation at 3.2 miles, then start dropping into DeDeckera Canyon proper. At a point about 3.7 miles north of Steele Pass, a short and steep hill is encountered. Nothing technical about it, although staggered whoop-de-doos along the hill might have your axles and suspension flexing a bit with a bit of resultant sliding. Going north to south up the hill might result in some wheel spin as your axles flex your suspension and weight is momentarily removed from each wheel as you pass over the staggered whoops.

Traveling through the upper portion of DeDeckera Canyon is scenic and easy. The road, though finely graveled, poses no surprises (unless, of course, there's been a recent flashflood), and the vegetation turns back to creosote brushlands with scattered Joshua trees. Keep a sharp eye out for a brief but beautiful view northward across the peaks of the Eureka Valley sand dunes to the White Mountains and 14,242 foot high White Mountain Peak. This is especially gorgeous as sunset approaches.

DeDeckera Canyon gradually squeezes in as you progress down it, then finally you get into the narrows at a point about 7.2 miles north of Steele Pass. The canyon will go around a tight S-bend and you will encounter the topmost of the bedrock stair-steps that is part of the next section of this narrative.

Part 3: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Bedrock Stairsteps in DeDeckera Canyon

Graham C. and I have traversed these several times and neither of us had any clearance issues with our stock Toyota Tacomas with the TRD off road package and standard skid plates. Graham traversed the stairs in both directions with his rear differential unlocked without traction problems; I prefer to lock up my rear differential ascending the stairsteps to make it easier on the truck and slowly creep over the obstacle.

When we traveled through with Tom Harvey in his 2006 Land Rover LR3, he had no clearance issues with his air suspension raised to its upper limit, although that expensive paint job was of more concern on one particular bedrock squeeze. But after Graham C. guided him through in the nearly dark conditions, his Land Rover came through unscathed. I've heard that a Hummer H1 made it through the tightest sections, basically straddling the steps with the ultra-wide vehicle's tires, boosting the truck high into the air.

Part 4: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Mouth of DeDeckera Canyon to the Big Pine-Death Valley Road.

The trail remains soft packed for a ways, and as it makes the northern face of the sand dunes, the reconnoiterer will come to the Death Valley National Park campground. A single toilet sturdy vault toilet and information board is found, as well as scattered concrete tables and metal campfire rings.

From the campground, the road becomes a maintained dirt road north for about 10 miles to junction with the Big Pine-Death Valley Road, the northern terminus of the Steele Pass 4x4 Trail.

From this point, you can go west to Big Pine in Owens Valley (about 39 miles to US395 and 39.5 to Big Pine), or east into Death Valley via Crankshaft Crossing.

Or, if you're hankering for more wide open spaces and 4x4 trails, you can continue north out of Eureka Valley via the Gilbert Summit 4WD Trail or Horsethief Canyon 4WD Trail.

Part 5: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Marble Bath Side Trip

This section is about 365 feet long.

A tenth of a mile south of Steele Pass is a small canyon that runs northeast. On most maps is shown a topographical feature called Marble Bath. Since Marble Bath shows up on many old maps, there are those who adhere to the claim that there is a natural feature somewhere in this vicinity that was called Marble Bath. It's whereabouts remains a mystery. So, likely in desperation, at some point in the past decades a whimsical man-made feature consisting of a bathtub filled with blue marbles has been placed a short walk from the roadway.

To find this Marble Bath, either driving north or south, at the base of the last lateral section of road topping Steele Pass on the south, park in the apex of the sharp curve. Walk about 362 feet up the canyon. The bathtub is found at the base of a rock outcropping on the south side of the canyon floor, next to a small Joshua Tree. Coordinates are N36° 58.192’, W117° 38.152’ and the elevation is about 5,096' as measured by my GPS but is likely at or just below 5,000'.

BACK

Part 6: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – Last Chance Range Side Trip

This section is about 1.25 mile long.

NOTE: THIS ROUTE IS WITHIN WILDERNESS AREA, THUS CLOSED TO VEHICULAR ACCESS.

At the summit of Steele Pass, an old road runs east into the face of the Last Chance Range. This road ends in a shallow and steep canyon at the point where the range starts to climb nearly vertical to the summit of the range. The road abruptly ends where it becomes physically impossible to climb any higher without heavy earthwork and switchbacks, and ends on a shelf sitting above the canyon bottom.

Note: Prior to Spring, 2008, this route showed no signs of closure. However the old roadway has been resigned as closed, and large rocks have been placed in the old road to discourage any attempt to drive a vehicle up this road.

Vegetation starts to transition from desert to mountain at the end of the road. Joshua tree forest dominate the slopes, but just above the road end Joshua trees end and piñon pines start to show up on the near vertical face of the range. The range's top is densely forested just out of sight.

If you elect to walk up here, your efforts will be rewarded with the best views in the entire region; a broad sweep into Saline Valley and west to the Sierra Nevada peaks. The best views are found about 0.9 mile up the road from Steele Pass. The road is quite steep.

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Part 7: Steele Pass 4x4 Trail – MAPS NEEDED

Getting To the Steele Pass Trail:

I'd recommend a good overview map, like the Death Valley National Park Back Country Roads map (download and print or pick one up at the Furnace Creek visitor center); or Hubbard Death Valley National Park map (basically the topographic 1: 100,000 scale quadrants that cover the entire national park and surrounding areas), which is available at most convenience stores and bookstores throughout the eastern Sierra Nevada and Death Valley region. Getting to Saline Valley and the main roads in it are shown on most AAA maps. Or buy a Delorme California Atlas (two separate atlases cover the state; and if memory serves me correctly, this region is split between both atlases). The access routes to either end of the Steele Pass trail from east, west, north and south covers too broad of an area to cover with individual 7.5 minute topographic maps.

Steele Pass Trail (south to north):
7.5 minutes series topographic maps, scale 1: 24 000

• Pat Keyes Canyon, California (not really useful, as only the first 1,300 feet of the trail to the springs is shown branching off the Saline Valley Road)

• Lower Warm Springs, California (route to between Palm and Upper Warm Springs)

• West of Teakettle Junction, California (route from just below Upper Warm Springs to midway to Steele Pass)

• Saline Peak, California (remainder of route in Saline Valley, Marble Bath, Steele Pass, to near where route drops into DeDeckera Canyon; also includes western portion of route up the face of the Last Chance Range from Steele Pass; also shows location of camp spot between Steele Pass and DeDeckera Canyon)

• Last Chance Range SW, California (route down DeDeckera Canyon, Eureka Valley, sand dunes, to north of the sand dunes on the maintained road to the Big Pine-Death Valley Road)

• Last Chance Range SE, California (map shows 1.2 miles of the trail through DeDeckera Canyon along its left edge)

• Hanging Rock Canyon, California (central portion of the route out from the sand dunes to the Big Pine-Death Valley Road)

• East of Joshua Flats, California (remainder of route to the Big Pine-Death Valley Road)

Route between Steele Pass and face of Last Chance Range:
7.5 minutes series topographic maps, scale 1:24,000

• Saline Peak, California (western portion of route)

• Dry Mountain, California (eastern portion of route)

I hope you enjoyed your trip across the Steele Pass 4WD Trail. Now that you have successfully navigated it, you are a man (or woman) of Steele!

©2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 D.A. Wright
All Rights Reserved

Page Revised: 04/27/2008