Ubehebe Crater

Ubehebe Crater in the north of Death Valley is a maar: rising magma turned groundwater into steam, and the explosions blasted out the crater. It is about half a mile (0.8 km) across and, depending on where you measure, 500 to 777 feet (150 to 235 m) deep. The National Park Service estimates its age at around 2,100 years, while other figures range from 800 to 7,000 years. It is the largest of the more than a dozen craters in the Ubehebe volcanic field; the Timbisha Shoshone know it as “Tempintta Wosah.”

From the paved parking area on the rim, which also fits buses and large RVs, you can see the crater without hiking. The rim loop is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, takes about an hour, and starts uphill; after half a mile (0.8 km) Little Hebe comes into view. Going down into the crater is easy, but the climb back out through ankle-deep cinders is hard, so skip it in summer. The wind is often strong, there are no restrooms at the lot, and the nearest ones are about 5 miles (8 km) east at the Grapevine Ranger Station (as of October 2026). Allow a little over an hour from Furnace Creek.