Hike Funeral Mountains Wilderness Loop Funeral Mountains Wilderness BLM, CA

Directions

Route Map

Download GPX

Funeral Mountains Wilderness Loop GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Add to Cart

View Cart

The Funeral Mountains are mostly to the northwest of this loop within Death Valley National Park and include the more well-known Pyramid Peak. However, the designated wilderness area is a smaller patch of land that encompasses this hike, Bat Mountain, and the Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point. None of the peaks are named, but they provided a nice outing with great views to wrap up the area.

I parked at an arbitrary point off CA-190 and hiked a couple of easy desert miles into a major drainage south of Peak 5280. As I made my way deeper into the drainage, the terrain grew rockier, but nothing too troublesome. Farther up, I encountered a Class 3 obstacle, a dryfall with a bypass just to its right. Later, I reached a narrow section where I opted to leave the drainage, ascending to the left instead and continuing to the ridgeline above. I probably could have continued north and joined the parallel ridge (my later descent), but either option would have worked fine.

Peak 5280 was just above, and the route remained Class 2 until just before the summit. Here, I reached a short Class 3+ knife-edge leading to the high point, which added some excitement to the final stretch. I could see the memorably steep, sandy scree slope on the east face of the Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point that I did years ago, and Pyramid Peak looming behind it.

I descended from Peak 5280 and made my way up to Peak 4720, a straightforward undertaking on pleasant slopes. When I reached the top, I was surprised to find a dramatic drop on the summit’s east face, a sheer rim overlooking a colorful landscape below. Descending from Peak 4720 proved slightly trickier than I had anticipated. Just south of the high point, I was able to wrap beneath the cliffy summit, and from there I carefully chose my way down, eventually committing to a Class 3 chute that brought me below the cliff bands. From below, I wouldn’t have thought this route would be viable.

I continued my descent toward the saddle with Peak 4120. Along the way, I encountered a fun 50-foot hump with a totally different-looking type of rock compared to the limestone of the area that added some easy Class 3. Peak 4120 now stood ahead, another straightforward slope walk with some Class 2 sections mixed in.

The dramatic west face of the Bat Mountain complex came into view when I reached Peak 4120, an impressive sight. From the summit, I peered south along the ridgeline but chose not to descend that way, instead backtracking to the peak’s northern saddle. Besides a Class 2+ section to navigate a small dryfall or two, the descent was trivial. Once in the wash below, it was just a long walk through the open desert back to the car.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Peak 5280

5280 ft

600 rise

Peak 4720

4720 ft

360 rise

Peak 4120

4120 ft

440 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Heading north toward the peaks.

Entering a major drainage south of Peak 5280.

A bit rockier farther in, but nothing crazy.

Looking down a Class 3 obstacle within the drainage.

At this narrow section, I left the drainage on the left and just kept ascending.

View back down after leaving the drainage.

Peak 5280 seen above.

Another shot back as I make progress up to Peak 5280.

Class 2 for much of the time.

Along the ridge crest to gain the high point.

A short knife edge, Class 3+.

View down the Class 3+ move to gain the summit.

Summit of Peak 5280, view southeast. My next peak, Peak 4720 seen right of center. Bat Mountain visible top left.

Peak 5280, view toward Funeral Mountains Wilderness HP (left) and Pyramid Peak (top left).

On my way down from Peak 5280.

View back up toward Peak 5280 on my way to Peak 4720.

Peak 4720 ahead.

Ascending Peak 4720, view back at my progress.

Approaching the summit of Peak 4720.

Peak 4720, view toward Peak 4120 (center). Getting down the east face of Peak 4720 was a little trickier than anticipated.

View back up at my chosen descent route.

A Class 3 chute brought me down farther, beneath the cliff bands.

Looking back up at Peak 4720. I came down the chute seen far left.

Onward, descending to the saddle with Peak 4120 (right).

Farther down, a colorful landscape.

Looking back up toward Peak 4720.

A fun little Class 3 obstacle along the way.

Peak 4120 ahead.

Looking back as I ascent Peak 4120.

Mostly straightforward slope walk up, with some Class 2 mixed in.

The impressive west face of the Bat Mountain complex.

Peak 4120, view south down the ridgeline I decided not to attempt.

After backtracking, my drainage descent choice. Then it was just a walk through open desert.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!