Nov 02 2008
Mosaic Canyon @ Death Valley National Park
Mosaic Canyon is one of the beautiful canyons hidden in Death Valley National Park, still within the boundaries of Inyo County, California. Driving through Death Valley National Park, one may be overwhelmed with the vast emptiness as far as your eyes can see. The beauty of Death Valley National Park is perhaps not what is laid right in front of your eyes. For me, it is the working puzzle that if you put together all the sights, both obvious and hidden, that then you will be able to grasp the vastness and depth of what Death Valley offers.
Mosaic Canyon
Mosaic Canyon is one of the hidden beauties of Death Valley. Mosaic Canyon is west of Stovepipe Wells Village, the 3-mile long dirt road climbs up the alluvial fan to the base of the mountain at the mouth of the canyon. The dirt road is passable by passenger cars and automobiles, the road does not necessarily require a high clearance vehicle.
Walls of Mosaic Canyon, near the mouth
From the parking lot, you may wonder what is there to see, but once you step into the mouth of the canyon, you will have a pleasant surprise! Polished walls of marble mix with colorful mosaic patches of agglomerated fragments.
Marbles
I found out that kids are not only giddy with sand, with snow, but also of marbles! The shiny surface of marble offered them a natural playground, a natural slide.
Kids Enjoying the Natural Slide
I was no different from those kids. Since I have not seen as much marbles in my entire life, I also grabbed the opportunity to hug these marbles, to climb ( I was not successful since of course marbles are very slippery to climb), and to be just giddy about them.
Me, Trying to Climb the Marble Strata
The marble passageways exhibit the powerful force of flowing water that eroded massive amounts of metamorphosed rocks and debris from mountains.
Marble Passageways
Marble Passageways
Hiking Mosaic Canyon actually felt like walking inside a museum, an outdoor natural museum.
Hikers @ Mosaic Canyon
If kids can be giddy on the marble passageways, so do the adults but in a different way. You will see some adults peering closely into the marbled rocks, some with their own magnifying lens, inspecting the details of the walls. On the look out for some faults and fossils, a natural museum indeed.
Narrow Passageways
Mosaic Canyon is an easy 2 to 4 miles hike, depending on how much one would want to go. Aside from marbles, there are other different types of rock of various colors that are interesting to see.
