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Park news · Death Valley

Death Valley closes Titus Canyon Road on October 2, with reopening expected in May 2027

The road stays closed for repairs until May 2027 while crews fix flood damage and secure the rockfall-prone Red Pass area.

By Jocelyn Pion, · Updated

Developing story · 1 update since the first story Jump to where it started

Timeline

  1. Latest update

    Titus Canyon Road Not Expected to Reopen Until May 2027

    The closure will last until May 2027, covering the entire winter season. Crews will repair the cumulative damage from the August 2022 and 2023 flash floods. Most of the work centers on the Red Pass area, where an eroded section poses rockfall risks: drainage, erosion control, slope stabilization, and roadway widening. The road will stay completely closed the whole time, and no partial reopening has been announced so far.

    Official source : Death Valley’s Titus Canyon Road To Close For Major Repairs

  2. Where it started

    Death Valley Closes Titus Canyon Road Starting October 2

    One of Death Valley's finest backcountry drives closes October 2, 2026 for repair work after flood damage.

    Planning to drive Titus Canyon Road on your Death Valley trip? You'll need to rework your plans. Titus Canyon Road closes starting October 2, 2026 while crews get the repair work underway.

    It's one of the park's most popular backcountry drives, and for good reason. It winds deep into the backcountry, far from any pavement, and opens up a landscape of canyons and rugged terrain that few roads reach. That star status is exactly what makes the closure sting for anyone who built a visit around it.

    Dirt road winding through an arid rocky canyon, beside a stone-lined drainage channel, boulders and desert shrubs

    The reason is clear. Flooding left the roadbed in rough shape, and the park crews aren't just patching it up. The work aims to repair and strengthen the road so it holds up better against the next rounds of heavy rain, which come often in this arid valley where water, when it does fall, rushes through with nothing to slow it down.

    So if your trip falls after that date, treat Titus Canyon Road as off-limits until further notice. The park hasn't announced a reopening date, and shoring up a backcountry road isn't the kind of job that wraps in a few days. You're better off planning your route without it than counting on a pleasant surprise once you arrive.

    The good news is that Death Valley is enormous, and it comes down to far more than this one road. To build a route that still holds up despite the closure, lean on our Death Valley park guide, where we lay out the roads that stay open and the points of interest you can reach in any season. If you're folding this park into a bigger trip, take a look at our road trip itinerary that runs through it.

    One last habit before you go. Check current road conditions with the park the day of your visit. In a region this prone to flooding, a road listed as open can close from one storm to the next, and word from the ground is still your best ally.