Hanaupah Canyon Fault Scarp
BW8. Location/Access:(36o 13.119’N, 116o 53.574’W) From the Badwater Road, take the West Side Road south 10.5 miles and turn up the Hanaupah Canyon road and proceed 0.8 miles up the fan to the bluffs where the road turns south.
Best Time: Anytime, all year.
Geology: This bluff marks the trace of the Hanaupah Canyon fault. At this point it is trending N 17o E but it swings more northerly just north of here. You are near the southern end of the scarp. The fault offsets all but the most recent gravel deposits. In addition to tectonic disruption of the fan surface, many alluvial fans and bajadas on the west side of the valley have been studied in terms of their erosional and depositional history (see for example, Duhnforth, 2007). Email us for directions to something really interesting in terms of history that lies within feet of here.
