Mount Perry

Mount Perry is a challenging and rewarding hike located in Death Valley National Park. Begin by making the drive up Dante’s View Road to the namesake Dante’s View. At 5,400 feet this viewpoint provides an amazing view of Death Valley and the Badwater Basin area. Telescope peak and the Panamint Range dominate the horizon across the valley, and a few distant snow capped peaks of the high Sierra Nevada can be seen on a clear day.

But this is just the beginning.

The trail heads north from the parking area where it climbs to the true summit of Dante’s View Peak. After summiting, the trail loses about 800 feet of elevation as it follows ridgelines toward the ever looming Mount Perry. Although the trail isn’t an official maintained trail (very few in Death Valley are), it is well traveled and easy to follow in most places.

Near the bottom of the descent the trail turns a little rocky for a short stretch, before starting to level out. The trail then begins ascending toward the summit of Mount Perry. Here the rock begins to turn red colored, and the trail begins to get rougher as you gain elevation.

As you near the false summit of Mount Perry the trail essentially turns into class 2 terrain, as you follow a faint path through loose rock. The steep last ascent to the false summit is rewarded with stellar views both to the east and west, and a glimpse at the ridgeline ahead to the true summit of Mount Perry. From here it is about half a mile to the summit through loose rock along the summit. For those who aren’t comfortable with this terrain the false summit is a great turnaround point that still provides stellar views.

After trekking the remaining ridge to the summit, turn around and return the way you came. Keep in mind that you’ll have to descend from Mount Perry and then reclimb Dante’s View Peak on the way back, so be sure to save enough energy and water for that.

National Park fees are charged to enter Death Valley. Different seasons bring different challenges for this hike. While winter hiking in Death Valley is often preferred, temperatures here can be quite cold as the hike is at elevation. Likewise, summer can bring scorching heat - even here at elevations of 5,000-6,000 feet.