You can reach the wilderness from both sides of the range. Saline Valley Road in Death Valley National Park is easily traversed in a 2wd vehicle and provides access to eastside canyons. However, you do need to cross high passes (up to 7,000 feet) at either end of the road to enter Saline Valley. In winter the road may be blocked temporarily by snow, particularly the shaded portions of Grapevine Canyon at the south end of the valley. Keep in mind that winter storms can trap you in Saline Valley for days until the roads are opened by vehicular traffic tramping down the snow and melting—so, plan accordingly. From Saline Valley Road one can follow most of the canyon bottoms at least a short way into the mountains, although most (including Hunter Canyon, Beveridge Canyon, Craig Canyon, and McElvoy Canyon) have waterfalls or steep pitches that require scrambling skills and discourage all but the most determined hiker/climber from continuing.
Hunter Canyon is a good one to explore. Its abundance of water makes this canyon seem almost tropical—at least for the desert—with ferns, mosses, and lots of willows. Almost immediately on entering the canyon, however, you encounter two back-to-back waterfalls that are difficult but not impossible to traverse. A short distance beyond these two waterfalls there is a third one that stops most people from further exploration.
An old, historic mining trail, sometimes called the Bighorn Mine Trail, goes up the slopes of Little Hunter Canyon immediately south of Hunter Canyon. It is steep, difficult to follow, but for hikers with good map-reading skills and plenty of water, the trail offers access to the upper part of Hunter Canyon at Bighorn Spring and can even be followed to the crest of the range. Numerous burro trails complicate route finding, but the BLM has marked the path with occasional cairns. The views are terrific.
The trail begins at the end of Hunter Canyon Road, beyond the mining ruins. It crosses the wash and continues up the south side of Little Hunter Canyon to its headwaters at around 5,000 feet. It continues to a ridge and drops down into Hunter Canyon at Bighorn Spring. Bighorn Mine is to the north above the spring. This is remote country.
For the really adventurous it is possible to make a loop trip out of Little Hunter and Hunter Canyons. Go up the Bighorn Mine Trail via Little Hunter Canyon and drop into Bighorn Spring at 5,040 feet in Hunter Canyon. From there, descend Hunter Canyon back to Saline Valley. This requires a number of rappels around waterfalls. Reportedly, the first obstacle is encountered at 3,200 feet and requires a rappel of 125 feet followed by four other shorter rappels.
Mazourka Canyon Road is the best access point to the high country on the west side. High clearance, but non-4wd vehicles can usually make it the first 18 miles to Badger Flat, which at 9,000 feet makes for a good base camp for day hikes up to the crest. Just head across country in the direction of the crest. As you gain elevation you soon leave behind the pinyon and juniper forest, and eventually break out into bristlecone pine woodland. The open forest is conducive to off-trail hiking.
Although outside of the wilderness, the views of the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada from the electronics site on Mazourka Peak make for a worthwhile side trip. The road beyond Badger Flat is steep in places, but still passable in a high-clearance 2wd vehicle if the road is dry. Those with 4wd can continue on toward Blue Bell Mine, which provides a good jumping-off point for the hike up 11,125-foot Waucoba Mountain. Old jeep roads (now closed) make for excellent hiking trails that take one nearly to the summit.
Old mining roads and pack trails provide the majority of unmaintained hike access, although cross-country travel is possible in many areas—if you're half mountain goat. The Lonesome Miner Trail is a 40-mile route that crosses the range from Reward in Owens Valley to Hunter Canyon on the Saline Valley side of the mountains.
Mount Inyo is also a"popular" destination, keeping in mind that popular in the Inyos is a relative term. The best approach is out of Lone Pine. Go north from Lone Pine less than 1 mile and turn east on the paved Lone Pine Road. After approximately 3 miles the road turns north and parallels an old railroad right-of-way. Continue north on this road for 5 miles until you come to a good dirt road heading east up the mountain slope toward the Silver Spur Mines (marked on the AAA Death Valley National Park Map). Drive as far as practical, then hike. It is about 6,000 to 7,000 feet up and 5 miles or less in distance (depending on where you park) to Inyo Peak. Overnight campers can stay at Bedsprings Camp (no water—bring your own) at 9,500 feet in the saddle between Mount Inyo and Keynot Peak. Once on the ridgeline you can scramble along the crest to the summit of either Mount Inyo or nearby Keynot Peak—both are higher than 11,000 feet.
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