Having earlier written about our visits to Dante’s View and Zabriske Point in Death Valley National Park, we move on to Ubehebe Crater. Located at the north end of the park, Ubehebe Crater is a formation of 13 overlapping volcanic craters that created in an eruption 2,100 years ago. The largest of the craters and the one really carrying the name “Ubehebe Crater” is half a mile across (800 meters) and 600 feet (183 meters) deep.

The 55-mile (89 kilometer) drive from Furnace Creek to Ubehebe Crater takes about 90 minutes. You turn off of CA-190 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Furnace Creek onto Scotty’s Castle Road, also known as the North Highway. The scenery along the way is beautiful. You see alluvial fans, rock formations, and the stark beauty that characterizes Death Valley. The turn off to Ubehebe Crater is right where the road heads into the mountains to Scotty’s Castle.

As a side note, the road to Scotty’s Castle closed in 2015 after a major rainstorm caused significant damage. It was expected to re-open in 2023, but the remnants of Hurricane Hillary dumped 2.2 inches of rain on the park in a day. That compares to an annual rainfall of 2.15 inches. Roads were damaged across the park and the park closed for several months. The damage done to Scotty’s Castle road delayed the reopening which is now not expected until 2025.

As you approach the craters, you enter a field of ash and lava. You pass the turn off to Racetrack Valley before arriving at the parking lot at the crater’s rim. Here is the view from just a short distance from the parking lot.

The craters formed in a steam and gas explosion triggered when rising magma came into contact with groundwater. The exploding gas threw rock in the air leaving deposits of both basaltic lava and fragments of sandstone. It is quite an impressive sight. Click on any image to see a full-sized version.

Snow-covered Tin Mountain loomed over the crater’s rim. Tin Mountain is a 8,953-foot (2,729 meter) mounting in the Cottonwood Mountains, part of the Panamint Range. Off to the left is Dry Mountain in the Last Chance Range.

The colors and patterns of the crater rocks and the Grapevine Mountains of the Amargosa Range are striking.

A bird was circling overhead.

Looking north from the crater, there is a wide open valley.

There is clear evidence of more volcanic activity on the side of the Last Chance Range across the valley.

This panorama shows the full sweep of the valley between the crater and the Last Chance Mountains.

There was a lonely and scraggly bush.

The parking area is right at the edge of the crater.