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Inyo, California

Looking for the best hiking in Inyo? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Inyo. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Inyo

  • Darwin, California

    Photograph Panamint Valley from Father Crowley Overlook

    0.5 mi / 150 ft gain
    Father Crowley Overlook is an easily missed overlook on the western edge of Death Valley National Park off State Highway 190 overlooking Panamint Valley. It is easy to miss because the parking area doesn't appear to have a particularly notable vista, but leading off from the parking area to the s...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Hike to Darwin Falls

    5.0
    2 mi / 275 ft gain
    Yes, you saw this right, it's a waterfall in Death Valley. This magical oasis has water flowing year round and is found in the driest place in North America. Death Valley is full of amazing places, but this should be on everyone's to-do list! It's a short hike that quickly rewards you with a plac...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Panamint Dunes

    5.0
    7.23 mi / 935 ft gain
    You can do this as a day trip and just wander the dunes, but I really enjoyed the overnight with great evening views, amazing stargazing, and a sunrise exploration of the sand dunes. For an overnight trip I recommend you start hiking later in the day, when the temperature is a bit cooler. If you...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Camp at Death Valley's Wildrose Campground

    There is a ton to see here, exploring Death Valley is the perfect way to spend a weekend away. We decided to explore it with a group of friends on motorcycles but a car will do just fine too.Death Valley is located in Eastern California's Mojave Desert. From LA, take highway 395 and meet up with ...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Racetrack Valley

    5.0
    Death Valley National Park is home to some remarkably surreal landscapes, none stranger than Racetrack Valley and its famous moving rocks. For decades, the mechanism of the rocks’ movement was unknown and the subject of much speculation, some scientific and some not, but the mystery was finally ...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Hike the Hummingbird Spring Trail

    2 mi / 850 ft gain
    This hike was amazing to me. This trail in not listed on any park service map. If you have the Death Valley National Geographic Map, there is a trail noted at the base of Pinon Mesa (which is not really a mesa so don't look for it) that leads to Hummingbird Spring. Since there was a noted trail ...
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  • DEATH VALLEY, California

    Hike Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley

    4.0
    2 mi / 814 ft gain
    Mosaic Canyon is located a quarter mile west of Stovepipe Wells Village. From the 190 Highway, take the 2 mile gravel road to the canyon parking lot. The road is very rough and bumpy, but a regular passenger car will be able to make the drive. A high clearance 4x4 vehicle will not have any proble...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Summit Telescope Peak

    12.2 mi / 3258 ft gain
    The trail starts at Mahogany Flat campground which can be hiked to from the Charcoal Kilns to the north or more immediately accessible via 4WD on a dirt access road - use caution when driving this road in icy conditions. Once at the Mahogany Flat Campground, the trailhead is towards the south an...
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  • Death Valley, California

    Photographing the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

    4.9
    The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the most photographed dunes at Death Valley National Park. To reach the dune’s parking lot from Furnace Creek, drive 22 miles west on Highway 190. Three miles before you reach Stovepipe Wells, the dunes will be clearly visible from the road and you’ll turn right i...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Fossil Falls Trail

    4.3
    0.58 mi / 43 ft gain
    Fossil Falls is located east of Highway 395, a few miles south of Coso Junction, 45 min north of Ridgecrest. There is Bureau of Land Management sign pointing the way, but it is small, faded, and easy to miss, so be on the lookout. After about a mile drive on a marked dirt road, you'll reach the ...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Backpack Mount Langley

    5.0
    21 mi / 4000 ft gain
    Mt. Langley sits four hours north of Los Angeles and is one of the easier 14ers to bag in California. Mt. Whitney absorbs most of the foot traffic, so enjoy the relative quiet and seclusion.The trailhead starts at Horseshoe Meadows/Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead Campgrounds and meanders for 7.5 miles...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Hike the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail

    5.0
    0.9 mi / 26 ft gain
    The trail is a loop boardwalk. At the furthest point, there is a sandy footpath that will lead you to a creek and will provide a more secluded experience. Interpretive signs have been placed strategically on the trail, pointing out species of interest. The endangered pupfish is found in this cree...
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  • Lone Pine, California

    Photograph Eye of the Alabama Hills Arch

    3.5
    0.4 mi
    The Eye of the Alabama Hills Arch is a quick hike or drive from the popular Mobius Arch just off Movie Flat Road. The rocks around the arch offer outstanding views of the surrounding Alabama Hills and Sierra Mountains. To get to the arch follow the directions for Mobius Arch which is a great firs...
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  • Lone Pine, California

    Explore The Heart Arch

    A small heart shaped arch naturally formed in the bounders at The Alabama Hills, at the foothills of the Sierras. The Alabama Hills are formation of rounded rocks near the eastern Slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley. It is a popular filming location for movie and television show produ...
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  • The Mobius Arch Loop Trailhead, California

    Mobius Arch Loop

    4.4
    0.63 mi / 46 ft gain
    The Alabama Hills area of Lone Pine, CA is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas. As you drive along Movie Flat Road you will be surrounded by a sea of golden brown boulders of varying shapes and sizes extending in every direction. The main attraction in Alabama Hills is definitely th...
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  • Inyo County, California

    Camp in the Alabama Hills

    4.8
    The Alabama Hills Recreation Area is a area owned by BLM and open to the public. Camping is free and you can say for a max of 14 days.The are has 100+ open desert sites that are shadowed by some of the tallest peaks in the Sierra Nevada range. And if that wasn't enough, the area was the backdrop ...
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