Grotto Canyon and Arch in Death Valley National Park, CA

Hike Grotto Canyon and Arch Death Valley National Park, CA

Class 4 4.2 miles 1500 gain 4-6 hrs Out + Back Feb 15, 2017
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Grotto Canyon and Arch 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.

It's hard to rate the difficulty of this guy because the hike is really just a series of easy Class 5 moves on obstacles with Class 3 consequence. It's not particularly strenous, but does use lots of upper body to get over dryfalls. To give an example, there were at least two obstacles we climbed that had anchors for rappelling at the top.

The higlight of this hike was when we wandered up a side canyon that had no footprints leading to a particularly difficult dryfall. After continuing up this canyon that had absolutely no signs of human activity, we got to an unpassable dryfall. As if by luck, we looked to our right and were greeted by a beautiful natural arch that beckoned for a Class 2 scramble to get up to it. We went through it and continued down a gully to make a mini loop back into the main Grotto Canyon.

On the way back, we located another side canyon on the east side of Grotto Canyon that led to an impassable dryfall, but had more fun obstacles and rock features.

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!

A short walk leads to the entrance to the narrows.
A short walk leads to the entrance to the narrows.
Image 1 from gallery
The first obstacle.
The first obstacle.
Image 3 from gallery
The second obstacle.
The second obstacle.
Grotto Canyon opens into washes, and narrows into slots many times.
Grotto Canyon opens into washes, and narrows into slots many times.
Image 6 from gallery
Image 7 from gallery
Shawn on an obstacle.
Shawn on an obstacle.
Image 9 from gallery
Image 10 from gallery
Image 11 from gallery
Image 12 from gallery
Image 13 from gallery
Bypassing an unclimbable dry fall by following a worn side trail.
Bypassing an unclimbable dry fall by following a worn side trail.
Image 15 from gallery
Image 16 from gallery
Image 17 from gallery
Image 18 from gallery
Image 19 from gallery
Image 20 from gallery
Image 21 from gallery
A pretty technical section. There are hand holds, but it's not easy. This may be the turnaround point for many.
A pretty technical section. There are hand holds, but it's not easy. This may be the turnaround point for many.
Image 23 from gallery
Image 24 from gallery
A cool hairpin turn to enter this section of narrows.
A cool hairpin turn to enter this section of narrows.
Image 26 from gallery
Image 27 from gallery
Image 28 from gallery
Shawn looking up at the most dangerous obstacle, in my opinion. Climbing up the dry fall would have been too difficult, so we did a Class 4 scramble just to the left.
Shawn looking up at the most dangerous obstacle, in my opinion. Climbing up the dry fall would have been too difficult, so we did a Class 4 scramble just to the left.
Shawn coming up the technical section.
Shawn coming up the technical section.
Shawn looking down the dryfall we just came up. The way we ascended this obstacle is on the left of the dryfall in this photo.
Shawn looking down the dryfall we just came up. The way we ascended this obstacle is on the left of the dryfall in this photo.
Entering the side canyon on the left.
Entering the side canyon on the left.
Image 33 from gallery
Image 34 from gallery
Image 35 from gallery
The last technical dry fall in the slot canyon. Definitely not an easy one to work through.
The last technical dry fall in the slot canyon. Definitely not an easy one to work through.
Image 37 from gallery
Image 38 from gallery
The water had flowed on the right, creating a three-foot wall on the left, and then made an 'S' shape. Really interesting formation.
The water had flowed on the right, creating a three-foot wall on the left, and then made an 'S' shape. Really interesting formation.
The narrows continue to be really interesting, but not as smooth as earlier.
The narrows continue to be really interesting, but not as smooth as earlier.
Image 41 from gallery
Looking up at the arch before the really big dry fall. The arch is our point to complete the loop.
Looking up at the arch before the really big dry fall. The arch is our point to complete the loop.
The arch.
The arch.
The arch in the bottom right from above.
The arch in the bottom right from above.
Go down the gully to get back into the main Grotto Canyon.
Go down the gully to get back into the main Grotto Canyon.
Enter the main fork of Grotto Canyon, wide and beautiful.
Enter the main fork of Grotto Canyon, wide and beautiful.
Me coming down the chute.
Me coming down the chute.
Image 48 from gallery
Headed up the second side canyon, a pretty obvious fork.
Headed up the second side canyon, a pretty obvious fork.
Image 50 from gallery
We got to a dry fall and took a Class 3/4 scramble to the right of it to bypass.
We got to a dry fall and took a Class 3/4 scramble to the right of it to bypass.
Shawn coming up the side of the dryfall.
Shawn coming up the side of the dryfall.
Another obstacle on the left that we stemmed to get up. It was loose and a little freaky.
Another obstacle on the left that we stemmed to get up. It was loose and a little freaky.
Shawn stemming to get up.
Shawn stemming to get up.
The small opening after the stem section. We were blocked here by a massive dryfall.
The small opening after the stem section. We were blocked here by a massive dryfall.

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!