When coming from Furnace Creek (rte 190), one goes 6 miles S on the Badwater Road, then turns SW on the Westside Rd. Take the Westside Road 11 miles to the Shorty's Well / Hanaupah Canyon crossroad. About 1.2 miles before reaching the Well Rd, there is a sign for "Tule Spring".
It's good to plan this hike for a waning moon that rises at midnight-1 AM, so the moon will be up and bright when you start out at 3-4AM (for Oct-Nov). Headlamps are a good extra, but if the moon is bright, there is a good chance you won't need lamps on the road, and the sun will be up before the road ends.
There is now a sign at the beginning of the Hannaupah Canyon road, and then again about the 6.5 mile mark stating that “Due to recent illegal activities, water in this canyon may NOT BE SAFE FOR DRINKING. Hikers are advised to bring their own water. Report suspicious activities to 911”
The spring is pretty overgrown with plants thriving in the waters. But it doesn’t look like there were any “illegal activities”. That sign is just such a California thing to say. Like someone got sick, so they exaggerate it and make it sound dangerous and nefarious, and then a call to action to spy on your neighbor, so they don’t have to take responsibility for it. But use a filter, and there is plenty of water to be had. The actual mouth of the spring is actually really hard to get to. It comes out of the side of the mountain, and it is super overgrown and in a narrow, steep section.
MoapaPk - Nov 4, 2007 5:47 pm - Voted 10/10
some minor stuffWhen coming from Furnace Creek (rte 190), one goes 6 miles S on the Badwater Road, then turns SW on the Westside Rd. Take the Westside Road 11 miles to the Shorty's Well / Hanaupah Canyon crossroad. About 1.2 miles before reaching the Well Rd, there is a sign for "Tule Spring".
It's good to plan this hike for a waning moon that rises at midnight-1 AM, so the moon will be up and bright when you start out at 3-4AM (for Oct-Nov). Headlamps are a good extra, but if the moon is bright, there is a good chance you won't need lamps on the road, and the sun will be up before the road ends.
Candace66 - Aug 7, 2017 12:35 am - Hasn't voted
More route info...There is a detailed description of this route in the guidebook "Hiking the High Sierra" by Branch Whitney.
kteichert - Nov 29, 2021 12:23 pm - Hasn't voted
Spring warningThere is now a sign at the beginning of the Hannaupah Canyon road, and then again about the 6.5 mile mark stating that “Due to recent illegal activities, water in this canyon may NOT BE SAFE FOR DRINKING. Hikers are advised to bring their own water. Report suspicious activities to 911”
The spring is pretty overgrown with plants thriving in the waters. But it doesn’t look like there were any “illegal activities”. That sign is just such a California thing to say. Like someone got sick, so they exaggerate it and make it sound dangerous and nefarious, and then a call to action to spy on your neighbor, so they don’t have to take responsibility for it. But use a filter, and there is plenty of water to be had. The actual mouth of the spring is actually really hard to get to. It comes out of the side of the mountain, and it is super overgrown and in a narrow, steep section.