| Summary: |
Ubehebe Crater is located in
the northern section of the park near Scotty's
Castle. The craters in the area are all that
remain of a volcanic eruption that occurred
between 2000 - 3000 years ago caused by rising
magma violently mixing with ground water to
create superheated steam (called a hydrovolcanic
eruption). The resulting explosion scattered
cinders over a 6 square mile area and formed the
0.5 mile wide, 770 foot deep crater. |
| Directions: |
From Scotty's Castle, drive
south towards the park. Turn right (north) at the signed
intersection just outside the Park's entrance
and drive 5 miles to the parking area at the top
of the crater. |
| Road Conditions: |
Passenger Car - paved all the
way |
| Navigation: |
Easy |
| Length: |
~2 miles if you hike all the
paths |
| Date Hiked: |
November 2004 |
| Weather Conditions: |
Sunny, cool and windy |
|
Required Skills: |
None |
| Hike Description: |
There are three short hikes
you can do in the area.
1) Walk around the rim of the main crater in
front of you. The path is marked by plastic
trail signs. Be careful near the edge, the
cinders roll beneath your shoes and it's a long
way down.
2) Walk down the steep cinder slope to the
bottom of the main crater and back.
3) Follow the path around the west rim of the
main crater (to the right if you're standing in
the parking lot facing the bowl) and loop around
a couple smaller craters including Little Hebe.
This hike can also be combined with #1 above. |
| Rating (1-5 stars): |
The author and his wife
hiked all the paths described above in 1.5
hours. |
|
Maps: |
Trails Illustrated - Death
Valley National Park |
| Photos: |
Click picture for larger view, click your browser's 'Back' button to return to this page. |
