During the expedition, we’ll be using SPOT (a satellite tracking device) which will allow those folks who couldn’t make the trip to follow our adventure on their computer. We’ll supply the link for the arm-chair expeditioners.

Adventure awaits! Let’s go.

Health notice/restrictions: Off-road tours are rough, bumpy rides often through challenging terrain. Our off-road Expeditions are not suitable for guests with back problems, neck problems, motion sickness, pregnancy, major medical conditions, or any other health condition(s) that could be aggravated by a bumpy ride through rough terrain.

** NOTE: What if a specific Expedition is canceled? While rare, from time to time, an Expedition may have to be canceled. For almost all of our events, you will be given the choice to either receive a full refund, or transfer your registration to another event that has openings. For some Expeditions, we may deduct up to a 15% fee from your refund to offset unrecoverable expenses. Due to unforeseen circumstances, including weather and road closures, all Black Rhino Expeditions trips and trails are subject to change or cancellation without advance notice.

November 20, 2026 – Arrive at Big Pine by 9 am.
Intersection of Highways 395 and 168 – Parking Lot on Southeast corner
(GPS – N 37.1731, W -118.2895)

Be sure to arrive fueled up – (there is a gas station in Big Pine on Hwy 395.) – we’ll be covering a lot of ground on Friday and Saturday before we can refuel in Panamint Springs. If necessary, bring extra fuel.

We’ll start with a driver’s meeting, go over the itinerary for the next three days and then we’ll be off on our adventure.

We may also do some Geocaching along the way. Details/GPS coordinates will be shared with participants.

From Big Pine, we’ll head east on Hwy 168 and make our way towards Eureka Dunes. We’ll make a stop just off Wyman Canyon Road and search for some petroglyphs.   

From there, we’ll continue eastward and make our way to Eureka Dunes for our lunch stop.

Eureka Dunes, at the north end of Death Valley National Park, are California’s tallest sand dunes at about 680 feet tall and 3 miles long by 1 mile wide. 

While we’re there for lunch, it’s always a treat to hike to the top of the dunes – the view is fantastic.  Beware though, it’s more strenuous than you may think.

After our lunch break, we’ll begin our southward trek toward Saline Valley.

On the way, we’ll make our way through Steele Pass. This is a wonderful canyon with great technical sections and a number of challenging dry waterfalls for your vehicle to negotiate. I’ll spot our vehicles through the tougher sections.  The trail through Steele Pass, which becomes Dedeckera Canyon,eventually lets out in Saline Valley. 

We’ll make a brief stop at the Blue Marble bath tub, an honest-to-goodness bath tub sunk in the ground full of blue marbles. And little rubber duckies. 

From there, we’ll continue on to Saline Valley Hot Springs, our night halt where we’ll set up camp, make some dinner, sit around the camp fire, and maybe take a dip (clothing optional).

That’s it for today – more fun tomorrow.

November 21, 2026 – We’ll set out shortly after our 9 am driver’s meeting from Saline Valley Hot Springs and head south up through Grapevine Canyon. Once through Grapevine Canyon and over Hunter Mountain, we’ll drive through Lee Flat (a huge and picturesque Joshua tree forest) navigatingour way to Boxcar Cabin, a simple two-room cabin that was once a train boxcar used by miners. The boxcar is most likely from the Carson & Colorado/Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge railroad, or possibly the Death Valley Railroad. Mining prospects first worked here in the 1930s.

Next stop as we continue our eastward trek – Panamint Springs Resort for lunch, and refueling. (Panamint Springs has in the past been a frequent night halt, but the accommodations have seen better days, and no longer meet our minimum standards.)

After we’ve filled our bellies, and gas tanks, we’ll head up into the Panamint Mountains to explore the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns.

The kilns, built in 1877, look like giant bee hives and were used to produce charcoal for smelting at the Modoc lead-silver mines high in the Argus mountain range. The charcoal was hauled by wagons and pack trains about 20 to 25 miles west across Panamint Valley.

From the Charcoal Kilns, we’ll head through Emigrant Pass and make our way into Death Valley. We’ll make our way to Mosaic Canyon for a relatively, easy hike – it’s a beautifully geologic canyon featuring marble narrows and mosaic breccia.

Once we’re done with our hike, our next destination is Stovepipe Wells Village, our night halt. There is a hotel, restaurant, gas station (usually only offering 87 octane gas), pool, a General Store, and the option of camping across the highway from the hotel. Here is the link to book your hotel or reserve a camp site:

Stovepipe Wells Hotel 

After we’ve checked in, we can meet for a group dinner in the Restaurant. 

That’s it for today, more adventures tomorrow!

November 22, 2026 – Today, we’ll set out shortly after our 9 am driver’s meeting from Stovepipe Wells and head east with our first  destination being Zabriskie Point.

The spectacular views from Zabriskie Point are some of the most photographed in Death Valley National Park. Named in honor of Christian Zabriskie, a prominent figure in the heyday of the Pacific Coast Borax Company, Zabriskie Point affords an elevated vista from which to marvel at the badlands below.

We’ll continue east on Highway 190 for just a short distance and zip through 20-mule Team Canyon. 

Twenty-mule Team Canyon offer visitors a unique  roller-coaster-like drive, hidden just off the main highway. Evidence of borax mines dot the canyon. The clay hills served as a filming location for scenes in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (representing the landscape near Jabba the Hutt’s palace). 

After we exit Twenty-mule Team Canyon, we’ll continue eastward on Hwy 190 until our next brief stop – Death Valley Junction.

At the intersection of Highways 127 and 190, Death Valley Junction is the eastern entrance into Death Valley National Park and began in 1907 as a modest railway and water stop named Amargosa before transforming into a company town for the borax industry.

It is most famous for Marta Becket’s Amargosa Opera House where Marta staged dance and mime shows from the late 1960s until her last show in February 2012. It’s a shame we never got to see Marta’s show.

From here, we’ll journey southward on Highway 127 to make our way to Tecopa Mines, and War Eagle Mine in particular. Here is a link to a short video showing what we might get to experience. We may not do all the things shown in this video.

The Tecopa Mines complex, owned by Ross Dykman, consists of private historic underground silver-lead mines—including the Noonday, Grant, War Eagle, and Columbia mines. Ross is going to take us on a 3-hour guided tour deep inside the historic subterranean tunnels of War Eagle Mine (which stay around a cool 70 degrees) to see old mining artifacts, equipment, and historical exhibits. There will be some ladder climbing and many photo opportunities. Hard hats will be provided. Bring a pair of gloves and bring a change of clothes – you will get dirty.

You may want to bring a small day pack with snacks and water and photo gear.

The cost for this tour is $100/person. If you’d like to participate be sure to add the correct number of participants on the Tour Check Out Page.

After we emerge from our mine tour, we’ll say our good-byes and look forward to the next one.

We look forward to seeing you.

The Black Rhino Expeditions Team