Flirting with death in the valley

Meet: Saturday 11/7/2026, 8AM at Village Trader Joe’s

Return: Sunday @ 6PM

Member: ($119) Non member: ($155)

Participant Driver (1 NEEDED): ($44)

Participant drivers will also have all gas reimbursed!

Activity: Ghost town touring, saltwater flats, hiking

Difficulty: (4/10) Easy Distance: 3.1 miles / 4.9 km Elevation: 520 ft / 158 m

Recommended Prior Experience: Some hiking experience recommended, not too scared of ghosts!

Location of Trip: Death Valley

Native Land: Kawaiisu, Newe Sogobia (Western Shoshone)

Are you sad that Halloween is over? Well, don’t be! We're celebrating for one more weekend!!! Join Abby, Kelly, and Elsa on our journey towards Death (Valley), through America’s certified greatest Ghost Town Tour.

Our first town will be Calico, and hold onto your petticoats because we are guaranteed scares right out of the 1800s. We’ll tour the old town, walk through an abandoned mine, and be able to see all of the spooky sites!

Then, we’ll get back on the road to make it to Badwater Basin to catch the beautiful sun set over the salt flats… gotta enjoy life on our way to the Grim Reaper. Once it’s nice and dark and spooky, we’ll drive on over to our next ghost town, Rhyolite, and meet our final destination. Or just some awesome ghosts - - Because you are ONE LUCKY TRIP PARTICIPANT, all three of your guides happen to be experts on this area. Abby, Kelly, and Elsa will treat you to your very own SCO-curated after-hours ghost tour!!

Then, we’ll drive back and set up our lovely camp, where we’ll catch some stars, some spooky stories, and some ZZZsss.

In the morning, we’ll pop over to Room Canyon for a classic slot canyon Death Valley hike, before driving back down to USC, happy to have survived the spooky spirits of the valley.

Contact the Guides:

Abby McMillin, abbymcmi@usc.edu

Kelly Keys, kkeys@usc.edu

Elsa Krapf, ekrapf@usc.edu

What to Bring:

*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!

• Sleeping bag

• Sleeping pad

• Mess kit (utensils and bowl/plate/tupperware)

• 3+ liters of water

• Hat/sunscreen/sunglasses

• Comfortable hiking shoes

• Comfortable hiking clothes

• Toiletries/medications

• Headlamp/flashlight

• Warm clothes for night/sleeping

• Flashlight/headlamp for ghost hunting!!

Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):

• Snacks

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times

• Any technical gear required (ie. kayaks, snowshoes, snorkels, backpacking packs, sleeping bags, fishing rods, etc.)

• All group / shared gear (tents, stoves, bear cans, first aid kit, etc.)

• Any permits or campsite reservations needed

• Cost of gas reimbursed for participant drivers

• Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
  

Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:

All SC Outfitters trips have a no-refund policy unless a substitute participant can be found. In the event your trip requires added reporting measures of participants (plane tickets, external providers, rental services, etc.) dropping the trip close to the date of the trip will not allow for the spot to be re-filled. See the details on trip pages for specific deadlines and reference our complete cancellation/refund policy here.

TRIP DIFFICULTY RATING SYSTEM

• Difficulty rating for trips

  • 1: No physical activity.

  • 2: Leisurely walk.

  • 3: 2-5 miles less than 1000 ft of total elevation gain on well maintained trails. About 2-3 hours continuous activity

  • 4: 4-6 miles, about 1000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. About 3 hours of continuous activity.

  • 5: 6-8 miles, about 1500ft of elevation gain on maintained trials. 4-5 hours continuous activity

  • 6: 8-10 miles, about 2000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. 4-6 hours of continuous activity.

  • 7: 10-14 miles, over 2500 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.

  • 8: At high altitude. 12-16 total miles, over 3000 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.

  • 9: Technical skills may be necessary. At high altitude with physical elevation gain. Scrambling over rocks likely involved.

  • 10: u gunna die

**If you have any questions or concerns about the physical activity, recommended prior experience, or gear needed on any kind of trip please contact the guides as soon as possible!!

This program is open to all eligible individuals. SC Outfitters operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact the guides listed above on the trip page. We request that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.