Lower Wildrose Road reopened as an unpaved route
Retrospective: A June announcement restored access after prolonged flood repairs.
- Event / announcement date
- 2026-06-03
- Earliest linked source date
- 2026-06-03
- NewsTumble first published
- 2026-10-25T22:31:04Z
- NewsTumble updated
- 2026-10-25T22:31:04Z
The National Park Service announced on June 3, 2026, that Lower Wildrose Road had reopened in Death Valley National Park after nearly three years of closure. Also called Trona-Wildrose Road, the narrow route reaches the park’s higher elevations and admits only vehicles measuring under 25 feet long. [1]
The reopening followed interim repairs to damage from flooding associated with Hurricane Hilary in August 2023. According to the agency, that storm stripped away much of the road’s asphalt and left a drop nine feet deep across it. Pieces of the old pavement remained visible. [1]
The reopened road had an unpaved surface, a change from its earlier condition. The park advised drivers to reduce speed, take care when meeting oncoming traffic and watch for soft shoulders. Flood erosion also left the stairs at the Wildrose Station picnic area unsafe. [1]
NPS said further stabilization was planned over the following years to limit damage from future flooding, while keeping the route unpaved. The announcement also placed the reopening within continuing repairs across the park to roads damaged by major floods in 2022, 2023 and 2025. [1]
The source
- National Park Service: Lower Wildrose Road Reopens ↗
Source published 2026-06-03 · reviewed 2026-10-25
About this item: Retrospective source brief. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.
