Death Valley Family Multisport - Backroads Printable Page

Death Valley Family Multisport

Death Valley's extreme environment can be pretty tough - when you're a plant or a critter. But for your family, it's a cinch to simply soak up the beauty of it all. Rocks in colors that rival any artist's palette. Vistas that morph with every angle in the light. Wildlife, from road runners to diminutive fish found nowhere else on earth. Graceful Sahara-style sand dunes. And an elegant oasis at Furnace Creek Inn, complete with gourmet cuisine and a shimmering spring-fed swimming pool. With Backroads, life in Death Valley couldn't be sweeter.

Day 1 Scotty's Castle, a flamboyant Moorish-style hacienda featuring an indoor waterfall, 18 fireplaces and a pipe organ What's that shimmering in the distance? The Great Salt Flats play tricks on your eyes as you ride to Mud Canyon on mostly level terrain.

Day 2 Spectacular Mosaic Canyon, where marble fragments are fused to the narrow rock walls Hike amid the hidden wonders of the park, from a smooth water-carved canyon to a desert oasis frequented by wildlife Stretch your legs on a walk amid the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat or at Devil's Cornfield, known for tangles of sand and arrowweed that form bizarre "haystacks" Our hotel's spring-fed swimming pool invites a refreshing afternoon dip.

Day 3 Amble among rock formations that look like Neapolitan ice cream Kids saddle up for a morning horseback ride while adults bike to Badwater, the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level Witness the mesmerizing mirage of a sandy beach on the giant Salt Playa.

Day 4 Hike to Zabriskie Point, the park's most celebrated vista spot Take in the amazing panorama of the Panamint Range, including Telescope Peak and the badlands' yellow sandstone Look for ancient lava flows in the Black Mountains to the south.

Trip Highlights

Hike among rock formations that look like Neapolitan ice cream
Revel in the peacefulness of the desert
Zabriskie Point, with an extraordinary panoramic view of the Panamint Range
Kids take in the desert scenery on horseback
Spectacular Mosaic Canyon, where marble fragments are fused to the narrow rock walls

Premiere Inns

Furnace Creek Inn (3 nights): Nestled at the foot of the Funeral Mountains, this Mission-style hotel sits almost 200 feet below sea level. (pool, tennis, golf)

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1

Levels 1 to 4 4 Route Options Available
Biking 11, 36, 54 miles
150 - 500 feet elevation gain
Walking 0.75 miles
no elevation gain

Day 2

Levels 1 to 2 3 Route Options Available
Hiking 2, 4 miles
450 - 900 feet elevation gain
Biking 24 miles
400 feet elevation gain

Day 3

Levels 1 to 4 4 Route Options Available
Biking 6, 17, 34, 46 miles
0 - 2300 feet elevation gain
Horseback Riding (kids) 1 hour

Day 4

Level 1 1 Route Option Available
Hiking 2.8 miles
950 feet elevation gain

Please note: On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.

Routes For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level	Average Time	Biking Average	Walking Average
Level 1	2-3 hours	10-20 mile	2-5 miles
Level 2	2-4 hours	21-30 miles	5-7 miles
Level 3	3-5 hours	31-40 miles	7-9 miles
Level 4	4-6 hours	41-55 miles	9-11 miles
Level 5	5-7+ hours	56-75+ miles	11-13+ miles

2012 Dates & Pricing*

FAMILY TRIPS

*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years
Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9 years
Minimum age restriction to horseback ride: 6 years

General Info on Minimum Ages:

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

12+ amount of cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities, routes
9+ difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions, routes
6+ several longer dinners, routes are difficult for pulling a Burley and therefore not appropriate for younger children, difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Guest Trip Reviews

For adventurous families looking to explore a remote landscape, the stark beauty and serenity of the desert is perfect. Adults love the smorgasbord of challenging biking options and hikes. Kids get a kick out of rolling down the powdery white sand dunes and biking through Badwater, the lowest spot in the country. This trip's M.O. is informal and relaxed, down to the casual accommodations and dining, so if that's your family's style, this multisport getaway is for you.

Mike Flaherty - Trip Development Coordinator, California & the Southwest