Cottonwood-Marble itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Cottonwood-Marble route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Death Valley Cottonwood-Marble Canyon permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Cottonwood-Marble. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by reservation.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Road junction is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 7
- Across the markers
- 25.0 mi
- Published route length
- 27 mi
- Published ascent
- 3,882 ft
How long it takes: 3-4 days. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
Adding up only the climbs between markers gives 2,416 ft, which is a floor rather than the total: anything that rises and falls between two markers is invisible to it.
The Cottonwood-Marble route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
1,184 ft
Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Road junction
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
Where almost everyone parks. 4x4 and high clearance are required to get here from Stovepipe Wells.
8.5 miles · 1,635 ft up to Cottonwood Canyon mouth
Mile 8.5
2,819 ft
Cottonwood Canyon mouth
End of Cottonwood Canyon Road and the start of the canyon walking. Running water is typically visible here.
3.5 miles · 781 ft up to Cottonwood Springs
Mile 12.0
3,600 ft
Cottonwood Springs
Seasonal, and the most reliable source on the loop. Usual first night.
5.0 miles · 341 ft down to Deadhorse Canyon dryfall
Mile 17.0
3,259 ft
Deadhorse Canyon dryfall
A vertical 8 foot dryfall that has to be climbed down. Deadhorse is known to dry up first.
4.0 miles · 392 ft down to Marble Canyon upper narrows
Mile 21.0
2,867 ft
Marble Canyon upper narrows
Polished grey walls close to a few feet wide.
2.0 miles · 779 ft down to Marble Canyon chokestone
Mile 23.0
2,088 ft
Marble Canyon chokestone
An enormous chokestone blocks the passage between the middle and lower narrows. Bypassing it means backtracking to the alternate trail.
2.0 miles · 457 ft down to Marble Canyon Road
Mile 25.0
1,631 ft
Marble Canyon Road
The last 1.8 miles of rough road back to the parking area.
Getting a Cottonwood-Marble for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Cottonwood-Marble dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Cottonwood-Marble around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.