Day 1

Meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks wearing Backroads T-shirts) at 7 a.m. at the limo and bus pick-up area outside the doors of Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Please arrive dressed to ride or with your biking gear packed in a separate small bag so you can change at our lunch spot.

Shuttle to Death Valley National Park 3½ Hours
Scotty’s Castle Tour 1 Hour
Mud Canyon Biking Route 36 Miles with Shuttle (300-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: 54 miles (500-foot elevation gain)

After meeting we shuttle to Scotty’s Castle, nestled among cottonwood trees in northern Death Valley National Park, near the mouth of Grapevine Canyon. The flamboyant Moorish-style mansion, built in 1922, was the brainchild of Walter “Scotty” Scott, a gold prospector and Wild West trick rider, and Albert Johnson, an insurance millionaire from Chicago. Rangers dressed in period costumes lead us on a history tour of the estate and its antiques, paintings, ceramics, pipe organ, indoor waterfall and 18 fireplaces.

After a picnic lunch at the castle, your Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety. Today’s ride to Mud Canyon is mostly level with a few hills. As you descend into the valley, notice the Great Salt Flats shimmering in the distance—the mirage makes it appear as if you’ve reached the ocean’s shore. Daylight permitting, you can ride all the way to Furnace Creek Inn, with the magnificent Panamint Range towering around you, or climb in the Backroads van to complete the journey.

As you settle in at the inn and check out its amenities, you may be interested to know that Furnace Creek is a natural oasis: its 50 freshwater springs provide water for drinking, showers, irrigation and even the swimming pool. Tonight we gather for a delicious dinner featuring the local delicacy—fried cactus—in the Furnace Creek dining room.

Lodging: Furnace Creek Inn

Day 2

Shuttle to Mosaic Canyon 45 Minutes
Mosaic Canyon Hike 4 Miles (900-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Mosaic Canyon Entrance 2 Miles (450-foot elevation gain)
Optional Furnace Creek Biking Route 24 Miles

A morning shuttle brings us to the trailhead for a hike into narrow Mosaic Canyon, one of the park’s few chasms created by water rather than shifting faults. Its mosaic-like appearance—the result of marble fragments fused to the rock walls by sediment—is absolutely beautiful! Though moderate, this hike does require some scrambling over rocks at the waterfall. If you’re uncomfortable, you can always hike back out the way you came.

After lunch you can take a leisurely ride, stopping to explore the wonders of the park along the way. Stretch your legs on a walk amid the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat or at Devil’s Cornfield, where tangles of sand and arrowweed form bizarre “haystacks.” You can also take a stroll on the Salt Creek Boardwalk and learn the story of the Salt Creek pupfish, endemic to Salt Creek. Another point of interest is the old Harmony Borax Works, one of the most successful borax operations in Death Valley. In the late 1800s, prospectors in search of gold and silver instead discovered borax. A multipurpose mineral, it became known as “white gold.” Twenty-mule teams hauled loads of it over the mountains to the nearest railhead in Mojave—a ten-day journey over 180 miles of rough roads. The visitor center and the Borax Museum are both excellent places to learn more about the area’s natural history. Later we head to the Wrangler Steakhouse for a hearty dinner.

Lodging: Furnace Creek Inn

Day 3

Badwater Biking Route 17 Miles with Shuttle (300-foot elevation gain)
Longer Options: Out and Back to Badwater 34 Miles (900-foot elevation gain) or Via Artist’s Drive 46 miles (2,300-foot elevation gain)

Our last ride is smooth and relatively level, with some gradual downhills and short steeper uphills thrown in. En route to Badwater, you’ll see the mesmerizing mirage of a sandy beach on the giant Salt Playa. According to legend, Badwater, the lowest point in the United States, was inadvertently named by an early surveyor who wrote “bad water” on the map when his mule refused to drink here. (You can’t blame the mule—the water supposedly tastes like a concentrated dose of Epsom salts!) Although Badwater initially appears to be downright inhospitable, a closer look reveals a thriving ecosystem. Keep an eye out for salt lovers such as pickleweed and the iodine bush, as well as the valley’s indigenous soft-bodied saltwater snail. The longer out-and-back option passes the Devil’s Golf Course and Natural Bridge. If you’re looking for an extra challenge, tack on a technical 12-mile ride out to Artist’s Palette.

Back at Furnace Creek, take a dip in the pool or play golf at the lowest course in the world, 214 feet below sea level. (Golf is not included in the trip price.) Depending on your tee time and whether you want to play a full round, you may have to skip today’s ride. Tonight we celebrate our western adventure with a farewell dinner at the inn.

Lodging: Furnace Creek Inn

Day 4

Golden Canyon Hike 2.8 Miles (950-foot elevation gain)
Shuttle to Las Vegas 3½ Hours

From Golden Canyon we take a morning hike up to Zabriskie Point, the park’s most celebrated vista. Surrounded by tall sandstone walls, walk through a maze of multicolored badlands. You’ll pass under 823-foot Manly Beacon, named for William Manly, who led his stranded emigrant party safely out of Death Valley in 1849. At Zabriskie Point, you’ll get an amazing panoramic view of the Panamint Range, including Telescope Peak and the badlands’ yellow sandstone. Look for ancient lava flows in the Black Mountains to the south. Back at Furnace Creek, there’s time to shower before we have lunch and shuttle back to Las Vegas.