2023-10-09, 02:29 PM
Various Opening Estimates
DVNP recently updated their road conditions page including more information about the degree of damage as well as long term estimates for repair. Some of the estimates are quite long, such as Titus Canyon closed until at least 2025 and Lower Wildrose closed until Fall of 2025. A number of roads in the central valley may open in November with some others following this coming spring.
DVNP recently updated their road conditions page including more information about the degree of damage as well as long term estimates for repair. Some of the estimates are quite long, such as Titus Canyon closed until at least 2025 and Lower Wildrose closed until Fall of 2025. A number of roads in the central valley may open in November with some others following this coming spring.
- CA-190
Closed. Expected to reopen from CA-127 (Death Valley Junction) through the park to CA-136 (Lone Pine, CA) on October 15. At that point, there will be gravel sections where pavement has not been replaced yet. Expect lowered speed limits and several sections of traffic control, while Caltrans and their contractors continue working on the road for several months.
- Daylight Pass Rd, Beatty Cutoff Rd & Mud Canyon Rd
Closed. Contractors will do temporary repairs on Mud Canyon/Daylight Pass. The road will likely reopen by mid-November, but will have gravel sections and a lowered speed limit. Then a second contract will be awarded to do permanent pavement replacement, which may include adding protection from future floods. That contract is likely to start in February or March 2024.
Beatty Cutoff Road will stay closed until the contract for permanent repairs fixes it, meaning sometime after February or March 2024.
- Dantes View Road
Closed. NPS road crews have fully repaired this road. It will open when the adjacent part of CA-190 opens (scheduled for October 15, 2023).
- Badwater Road/CA 178 (access to Badwater Basin, Artists Drive, Devils Golfcourse, Natural Bridge, Golden Canyon)
Closed. NPS road crews have fully repaired the northern 17 miles of the road, from CA-190 to Badwater Basin, along with several side roads. This will open when the adjacent part of CA-190 opens (scheduled for October 15). The southern part of the road, from Badwater Basin to CA-178/Shoshone, CA, will be repaired by contractors, and is likely to open by late November or early December.
- North Highway (Scotty's Castle Rd) (access toUbehebe Crater)
Closed. This will open sometime after February 2024. Work will be done by the permanent repairs contract.
- Wildrose Road / Emigrant Canyon Road (access to Wildrose Charcoal Kilns)
Closed. This will open sometime after February 2024. Work will be done by the permanent repairs contract.
- Lower Wildrose Road (aka Trona - Wildrose Road, connects Wildrose to Panamint Valley)
Closed. Completely impassable due to a 9-foot deep cut across the road. Likely to remain closed until fall 2025.
- Bonnie Clare Road and Scotty’s Castle due to flood recovery work . Unlikely to open before late 2025.
- Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road - Closed. This road has been fully repaired by NPS road crew, and will reopen when CA-190 opens (expected October 15).
- Mustard Canyon Road - Closed. This road has been fully repaired by NPS road crew, and will reopen when CA-190 opens (expected October 15).
- Mosaic Canyon Road - Closed. This road has been fully repaired by NPS road crew, and will reopen when CA-190 opens (expected October 15).
- Grotto Canyon Road - Closed. This road has been repaired by NPS road crew up to a new parking area at the top of the alluvial fan, where the road used to continue into the wash. This will reopen when CA-190 opens, expected October 15.
- Echo Canyon Road - Closed. NPS road crew used a dozer to do the first pass for repairs. We still need to get re-establish the permited roadside campsites and run a grader down the road before opening. Likely to open by late November.
- Hole in the Wall Road - Closed. NPS road crew used a dozer to do the first pass for repairs. We still need to get re-establish the permited roadside campsites and run a grader down the road before opening. Likely to open by late November.
- Cottonwood Canyon & Marble Canyon Roads - Closed. NPS road crew used a dozer to do the first pass for repairs. We still need to get re-establish the permited roadside campsites and run a grader down the road before opening. Likely to open by early November.
- Westside Road - Closed. As of 10/7/2023, NPS crews cannot get through the north end of the road due to a 4-foot drop-off into a muddy trench 10-feet wide and filled with a foot of water.
- Upper Wildrose Road (above the Charcoal Kilns) - Closed. No access due to extensive damage on Emigrant Canyon Road and Lower Wildrose (aka Trona-Wildrose Road).
- Keane Wonder Mine - Closed. The access via Beatty Cutoff is not likely to open until sometime after February 2024.
- Saline Valley Road - Signed closed by Inyo County.
- Hunter Mountain - Signed closed by Inyo County.
- Salt Creek - Closed. Will not open before fall 2024.
- Titus Canyon Road - Closed due to flood damage. Impassable. Not likely to open before January 2025.
- Steel Pass - Closed due to extensive flood damage. From an airplane, it appears the road is completely erased from Eureka Dunes through Dedeckera Canyon. Steel Pass itself looks okay. From Steel Pass to Upper Warm Springs, there's no sign of a road at all. Designated wilderness begins 50 feet on either side of the legal road (which is erased). Anyone trying to drive that would likely be illegally driving in wilderness. The park hopes to be able to work on this road in winter 2023/2024.
- Lemoigne Canyon Road - Closed due to flood damage. No estimated timeline.