Darwin Falls
Darwin Falls is a waterfall in California, at a modelled elevation of 845 m. Cerro Gordo Peak stands 2,793 m to the northwest, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is China Garden Spring, a spring 0.6 miles away. Death Valley Scenic Byway passes 1.5 miles off. 30 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Darwin Falls is a waterfall located on the western edge of Death Valley National Park near the settlement of Panamint Springs, California. Although there exists a similarly named Darwin Falls Wilderness adjacent to the falls, the falls themselves are located in and administered by Death Valley National Park and the National Park Service. There are several falls, but they are mainly divided into the upper and lower, with a small grotto in between. At a combined 80 feet (24 m), it is the highest waterfall in the park. The canyon is walled by dramatic plutonic rock.
Darwin Creek is one of the four perennial streams in three million-acre (12,000 km2) Death Valley National Park. Darwin Falls and Creek are fed by the Darwin Wash, which is in turn fed by the volcanic tableland of the Darwin Bench between the Inyo Mountains and the Argus Range. The small, narrow valley where the creek and falls are located features a rare collection of riparian greenery in the vast desert and is home to indigenous fauna such as quail. The falls themselves support several small fern gullies. Darwin Falls, the Darwin Falls Wilderness, the nearby town of Darwin, California, and all other areas named "Darwin" in the vicinity are named after Darwin French (1822–1902), a local rancher, miner, and explorer.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5225968, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 1.5 mi off the Death Valley Scenic Byway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Padre Point · 3 mi
- Father Crowley Vista Point- Rainbow Canyon · 3 mi
- Father Crowley Vista Point · 3 mi
- Turnout · 11 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- China Garden Spring: 0.6 mi
- Miller's Spring: 2.1 mi
- Jack Gunn Spring: 6.4 mi
- French Madam Spring: 6.4 mi
- Thompson Spring: 7.3 mi
- Zinc Hill: 2.3 mi
- Ophir Mountain: 4.7 mi
- 1440: 6.6 mi
- Lookout Mountain: 6.8 mi
- Ash Hill: 7.4 mi
- Osborn Cabin: 4.3 mi
- Viking/Talc Queen Camp: 10.7 mi
- The Joshua Tree album location: 12.3 mi
- Abandoned Old Vehicles: 16.4 mi
- Abandoned Old Vehicles: 16.4 mi
- Darwin: 5.2 mi
- Coso: 12.0 mi
- Cerro Gordo Mines: 21.2 mi
- Cerro Gordo,California, United States: 21.2 mi
- Skidoo: 22.4 mi
- Egg: 5.4 mi
- Not A Through Street: 5.4 mi
- Madonna: 5.5 mi
- F-14 Tomcat airplane: 8.8 mi
- Chinook helicopter: 8.8 mi
- Cerro Gordo Ghost Town: 21.2 mi
- Conglomerate Double Arch: 18.5 mi
- Telephone Arch: 21.3 mi
- Darwin community garden: 5.1 mi
- Dirty Socks Hot Spring: 23.7 mi
- Death Valley National Park: 23.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Darwin Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Gordo Peak | NW 316° | 2,793 m | 20.9 mi |
| Maturango Peak | S 173° | 2,670 m | 13.9 mi |
| Parkinson Peak | S 172° | 2,662 m | 15.3 mi |
| Parrot Point | S 172° | 2,540 m | 16.6 mi |
| Coso Peak | SW 232° | 2,483 m | 13.3 mi |
| Bald Peak | E 93° | 2,367 m | 24.1 mi |
| Malpais Mesa | NW 304° | 2,357 m | 14.5 mi |
| Pinon Peak | WSW 240° | 2,336 m | 16.9 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:54 | 18:28 | 19:02 |
| June solstice | 05:34 | 19:34 | 20:12 |
| September equinox | 06:39 | 18:15 | 18:49 |
| December solstice | 06:59 | 15:59 | 16:39 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 39 | 42 | 48 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 59 | 47 | 38 |
| Precip in | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Haiwee, 27 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Death Valley National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Sep and Jun; busiest: Mar.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/1145598998
Day trips start here
- Death Valley National Park · 26 mi
Take the scenic way to Darwin Falls.
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