With over 3 million acres of vast desert land, the largest national park in the contiguous United States, Death Valley, can be overwhelming to a first-time visitor.  Superficially, it appears to be an isolated wasteland, but despite its name, Death Valley National Park is one of the most unique national parks in the United States.  With sand dunes, canyons, and other one-of-a-kind landscapes to explore, as well as the opportunity for seclusion, peace, and solitude, Death Valley is on every adventure traveler’s bucket list for a variety of reasons.

Why Visit Death Valley National Park?

Aside from being the largest national park outside of Alaska, Death Valley National Park has an intriguing history and holds a few fascinating records that make it appealing to visitors.

Over the years, Native American tribes migrated throughout the area, but it wasn’t until California’s Gold Rush, in the mid-1800s when a group of European Americans lost their way in the uncharted terrain that the area received its unofficial name.  Tourism didn’t expand in the valley until the 1920s when interest in mining borax spread and resorts were built around Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek.  Death Valley was first designated as a monument in 1933, and then much later as a national park in 1994.

Located in eastern California on the border of Nevada, Death Valley has one of the most extreme environments on the planet.  At 134 degrees Fahrenheit, it holds the record for the hottest air temperature ever recorded on earth.  With an average rainfall of fewer than three inches, it is the driest place in North America.  Plus, it is home to the lowest point in the western hemisphere as well.  Death Valley quite literally delivers on every end of the spectrum.

What to Know Before You Go

Hydration

The National Park Service recommends keeping at least 2 gallons (7.6 liters) of water per person on hand and suggests consuming at least 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water per person each day.  Be aware of balancing fluid and electrolyte levels (sports drinks are great to keep handy), and if you feel dizzy or nauseous, seek shelter from the sun immediately.

Attire

Do not wear sandals.  Wear closed shoes at all times as the ground can be scorching hot and burn your feet.  This region is also home to rattlesnakes, scorpions, and black widow spiders, and I’m sure if you had one sneak up on you, you’d prefer to have your feet protected.  A lightweight hat is helpful even if you don’t normally wear hats.  Sunglasses are an absolute must.  Believe me, I forgot mine.

Transportation

You’ll definitely need a vehicle to cover Death Valley’s highlights.  An SUV is sufficient, but if you plan to leave the paved areas to explore further on dirt roads, a 4×4 is ideal.  Although gas is available at Furnace Creek Gas Station as well as Stovepipe Wells Gas Station, it’s about $1 USD more per gallon than outside the park, so it’s best to fill up your tank before entering.

Communication

Death Valley National Park is a very remote destination.  Mobile phones are inaccessible in most areas, so don’t rely on your cell phone or GPS.  Bring a map and ask park rangers or the visitor center for directions if needed.  We mapped out our journey the night before our trip on an iPad and found this super helpful.

Death Valley Accommodations

There are a few accommodation options within the park, but apart from camping, they are on the pricier side.  Depending on your budget and preference, you can opt to stay outside the park, or choose to stay entirely elsewhere like I did — although I’m not sure I recommend this option.

The four lodging options within Death Valley National Park are The Inn at Death Valley, The Ranch at Death Valley, Stovepipe Wells Village, and Panamint Springs. There are a few handfuls of campgrounds available, and most are first-come, first-serve.  Note:  I strongly advise against tent camping in the summer.

If you plan to enter or exit Death Valley near the center region to the east or west, there are a couple of towns on the outskirts with accommodations such as Beatty Junction (closest to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center), Lone Pine, and Ridgecrest.

When to Visit Death Valley

Take it from me, Death Valley is extraordinarily hot in the summer.  When I visited, the temperature hit 122 degrees Fahrenheit.  At one point, it felt like my eyelids were melting from my face.  I kid you not.

The best time to visit Death Valley is between November and March.  Temperatures range somewhere between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (15C to 27C) during these months and the weather is much more enjoyable.

Getting to Death Valley

The best way to get to Death Valley is by car.  Death Valley is enormous, and you will spend a lot of time in the park driving from one destination to the next. 

Below is a list of approximate driving times from popular nearby destinations:

•  Las Vegas (the closest airport):  about two hours, 120 miles
•  Los Angeles:  about four hours, 210 miles
•  San Francisco:  about eight hours, 450 miles

I choose to head to Death Valley from Big Bear Lake which took about three and a half hours and was about 200 miles each way.  It’s not as bad as it sounds.

How Much Does It Cost to Visit Death Valley National Park?

The entrance fee is $30 per vehicle, with seven days of in-and-out access to the park.  An annual pass costs $55 and is valid for twelve months from the date of purchase.  If you travel often around the United States, an America the Beautiful Pass provides access for every national park in the country for an entire year and is a steal at $80.  You can find more details on entrance fees and pass options here.

Top 10 Things to See and Do in Death Valley National Park

This Death Valley Itinerary can easily be split into multiple days especially if you decide to add some additional stops, but if you start early, entering the park by sunrise, you can cover the highlights below, exactly as I did, in just one single day.

Stop #1: Ashford Mill Ruins

Stop #2: Badwater Basin Salt Flats

Stop #3: Natural Bridge

Stop #4: Devil’s Golf Course

Stop #5: Artist’s Palette

Stop #6: Dante’s View

Stop #7: Zabriskie Point

Stop #8: Furnace Creek

Stop #9: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Stop #10: Mosaic Canyon

We approached Death Valley from the South on CA Highway 127 through Shoshone to CA Highway 178 also referred to as Jubilee Pass Road.  The drive on Jubilee Pass Road goes for about 25 miles total as you climb westward into the Black Mountains reaching first Salsberry Pass (3,315 feet), and then descending steeply to Jubilee Pass (1,290 feet), before making a right turn onto Badwater Road.

Stop #1: Ashford Mill Ruins

GPS Coordinates:  35° 55′ 15″N 116° 40′ 52.5″W

Time to Spend at Location:  10 minutes

Elevation:  121 feet (-37 m) below sea level

Directions: From the intersection of Jubilee Pass Road and Badwater Road, turn right onto Badwater Road. Drive 2.1 miles and turn left.

The Ashford Mill was built in 1914 to process gold ore from the Ashford Mine for shipment to a smelter.  There is not much to do or see here, but since it’s on the route into the park, and only about 900 feet from the main highway, it’s worth the quick stop.

Stop #2: Badwater Basin Salt Flats

GPS Coordinates:  36° 14.515’N, 116° 49.535’W

Time to Spend at Location:  30 to 60 minutes

Elevation:  282 feet (-86 m) below sea level

Directions:  From Ashford Mill Ruins, turn left onto Badwater Road.  Drive for 30 miles and turn left into the Badwater Basin parking area.

Badwater Basin is easily the most visited stop in Death Valley.  At 282 feet below sea level, it is the lowest elevation point not only in North America but in the entire western hemisphere.  This also means it’s the hottest.  Tip:  If visiting during peak summer days, schedule this stop at sunrise for the most bearable weather.

From the parking lot, if you look up at the mountains across the highway, you’ll see a sea-level marker sign.  This will give you a better idea of just how far below sea level you really are.

You can admire the salt flats from the viewing platform, or take a walk out to them.  Depending on the time of year you visit, the landscape can vary greatly.  If you choose to trek into the basin, the walk takes about 25 minutes to the middle where you’ll find yourself entirely surrounded by beautiful web-like salt patterns.  Be prepared for your shoes to be covered in salt by the time you make it back to your vehicle.

Note:  There are basic restrooms available in the parking lot.

Stop #3: Natural Bridge

GPS Coordinates:  36°17’01.7″N 116°46’02.3″W

Time to Spend at Location:  30 minutes

Elevation:  about 375 feet (114 m)

Directions:  From Badwater Basin Salt Flats, head northwest on Badwater Road towards Natural Bridge Road for 4 miles.  Turn right onto Natural Bridge Road and continue for 1.5 miles to the Natural Bridge Trailhead.

This 1-mile roundtrip hike starts out rocky but turns into a mostly dirt trail as you make your way through the canyon.  As you near the end of the trail, the walls of the canyon narrow and the 50-foot tall natural bridge comes into focus.  You can choose to continue on for about another 1/2 mile where you’ll reach a 20-foot dry waterfall that thousands of years ago flowed through the canyon. This is a quick and easy out-and-back hike perfect for stretching your legs and soaking in the scenery while doing so.

Stop #4: Devil’s Golf Course

GPS Coordinates:  36°19’41.9″N 116°51’36.4″W

Time to Spend at Location:  10 minutes

Elevation:  276 feet (-84 m) below sea level

Directions:  Head northwest on Natural Bridge Road towards Badwater Road for 1.5 miles.  Turn right onto Badwater Road and continue for 7.1 miles.  Turn left onto West Side Road and continue for 2.6 miles.  Devil’s Golf Course will be on the left.

True to its name, this gnarly span of rock salt flat is so rough only the devil himself could play golf here.  Since this area is on the way to several other attractions and the parking and viewing areas are one and the same, it can easily be included on a one-day Death Valley must-do list.

Stop #5: Artist’s Palette

GPS Coordinates:  36°22’03.7″N 116°48’12.2″W

Time to Spend at Location:  15 minutes to 1 hour depending on if you want to hike or just see the viewpoint

Elevation:  781 feet (238 m)

Directions:  From Devil’s Golf Course, head northeast on West Side Road towards Badwater Road for 2.6 miles.  Turn right onto Badwater Road and continue for another 2.6 miles.  Turn left onto Artist’s Drive and follow the loop for 9.7 miles exiting back onto Badwater Road.

There are only a few places in the world where you can see rainbow-colored mountains, and Death Valley is one of them!  Artist’s Drive is a one-way, 9-mile scenic drive with two lookout areas that starts and ends on Badwater Road.

The first lookout is near the beginning of the drive and consists of a parking lot that leads to two, short, 5-10 minute long hiking trails that provide amazing views of Badwater Basin to the south and Telescope Peak to the west.  The second lookout is near the end of the drive where you will see signs directing you towards “Artist’s Palette Viewpoint”.  This trek is slightly longer than the first at about 20 minutes roundtrip, but it is well worth it.  Here, you will take in views of the colorful hills and mountainsides – thanks to a variety of different metals and minerals – that you see in pictures!

Stop #6: Dante’s View

GPS Coordinates:  36°13’16.0″N 116°43’32.2″W

Time to Spend at Location:  30 to 60 minutes

Elevation:  5,476 feet (1669 m)

Directions:  From Artists Drive turn right onto Badwater Road driving for 4.8 miles.  Turn right onto CA-190 East and continue for 11 miles.  Turn right onto Furnace Creek Wash Road and drive for 7.5 miles.  Continue straight onto Dantes View Road for 5.5 miles.

I highly suggest taking the 50-mile roundtrip ride to Dante’s View.  One of the highest points in the entire park (over a mile elevation difference from Badwater Basin), Dante’s View offers breathtaking panoramic displays of the entire valley and the surrounding mountain ranges.  Pictures do not do this place justice.

There are several trails here, my favorite being the one that leads you to the edge of the crest offering, in my opinion, the most exceptional panoramas.  The temperature at Dante’s View is usually 15 to 25 degrees cooler than at lower elevations and it is sometimes very windy.  Be sure to take a moment while you’re there to stop and enjoy absolute silence.  It’s almost eerie!

Stop #7: Zabriskie Point

GPS Coordinates: 36°25’15.3″N 116°48’35.2″W
Time to Spend at Location: 15 minutes
Elevation: 713 feet (217 m)
Directions: Head east on Dantes View Road towards Furnace Creek Wash Road for 13 miles.  Turn left onto CA-190 West and continue for 7.2 miles.  Turn left onto Zabriskie Point Road.

Although not as high in elevation as Dante’s View, Zabriskie Point is another popular stop that offers an elevated lookout displaying the eroding landscape of the badlands below. A steep but short ¼ mile walk from the parking lot on a paved path leads you to a viewing platform where you can admire the deep grooves and ridges, dramatic colors, and differing light radiating from the hills. This is probably one of the most popular spots to take photos in all of Death Valley!

Note:  There are basic restrooms available in the parking lot.

Stop #8: Furnace Creek

GPS Coordinates: 36°27’42.5″N 116°51’59.8″W
Time to Spend at Location: 30 minutes
Elevation: 190 feet (-58 m) below sea level
Directions: From Zabriskie Point Road turn left onto CA-190 West and continue for 4.8 miles. Turn left onto Airport Road and drive for about 70 feet, then make a right, and Furnace Creek Visitor Center will be on the right.

Open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Phone: 760-786-3200

This is the only spot you will find reliable cell service in the entire park. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the visitor center was closed when I visited, but normally there is a fully staffed information desk and it is a great place to get any questions you might have about the park answered. They have full-service restroom facilities as well as an area to refill your water bottles, and a small gift shop.

Note:  In order to receive a park map from the rangers, you have to either show your annual park pass, or your park entrance stub.

Stop #9: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

GPS Coordinates: 36°36’21.7″N 117°06’58.3″W
Time to Spend at Location: 45 minutes
Elevation: 140 feet (43 m)
Directions: From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center turn left onto Airport Road and drive for about 174 feet, then turn left onto CA-190 West and continue for 22.4 miles. Turn right and drive for about 0.1 miles into the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes parking lot.

You don’t have to travel overseas for a photo op in seemingly endless rolling sand dunes. There are several sand dune areas in Death Valley National Park, but Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the most well-known and easy to reach. They can be seen from miles away and are quite an impressive sight.

There is a large parking lot from which you can wander into the dunes to explore, and if you can withstand the heat (we arrived at this stop around 1:30 PM in the dead of summer – hot doesn’t begin to describe the temperature at this time), I recommend taking the 15-20 minute walk past the desert plants away from any crowds towards the larger, 100-foot high dunes.

Pro Tip: Wear lots of sunscreen, and have sun, and SAND protection. Random gusts of wind will have you cursing yourself if you don’t have anything to protect your face – believe me.

Stop #10: Mosaic Canyon

GPS Coordinates: 36°34’18.6″N 117°08’39.3″W
Time to Spend at Location: 2 hours
Elevation: 950 feet (290 m) at the parking lot, 1,850 feet (564 m) at the trail end
Directions: Turn right onto CA-190 West and drive for 2.1 miles. Turn left onto Mosaic Canyon Road and continue for 2.3 miles.

Mosaic Canyon Trail is a fairly easy out-and-back trek that offers a few options in length based on your fitness level and how much you want to see. As you enter the canyon, it is a slow and steady uphill climb for about 2 miles until you reach the end turnaround point. The trail narrows as you head deeper into the canyon to a section that is worn smooth from flash floods over the years. Eventually, the canyon widens again and you can explore the trails through the hills.

About 2/3 of the way into the hike you reach an area where it looks like the trail ends.  Hint:  These boulders can be climbed or scrambled through towards the left.  As you continue on, there are some fun climbs and obstacles along the way.  The trail ends at a 20-foot dry fall which for most is a turnaround point. As you head back to the parking lot and emerge from the canyon, you’ll enjoy extensive views of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes below.

If you want to spend a little extra time in the park, or have an additional day or two to explore, below are some bonus stops I recommend checking out!

Ubehebe Crater

One of the most northern points in Death Valley, Ubehebe Crater will make you feel as though you’ve landed on Mars. This 2,000-foot deep crater offers hiking as well as some pretty cool photo opportunities.

Scotty’s Castle

I recommend linking Scotty’s Castle with Ubehebe Crate since they are very close to one another. Note: As of now, Scotty’s Castle is closed due to a significant flood, and is unlikely to reopen until sometime in 2021.

The Racetrack

This area is a dry lakebed known for its famous sliding rocks.  Over time, eroded rocks tumble to the surface of the playa.  A rare, yet perfect combination of rain and wind cause the rocks to move leaving the path engraved in the surface.

Charcoal Kilns

This feature of Death Valley is an area with ten beehive-shaped structures, each about 25 feet high which in the 1800s served as a source of fuel for the mines.

Father Crowley Overlook

Father Crowley Overlook is a popular spot to witness a low-level fly-by from a US fighter jet into the valley below. This area is a training ground for pilots in which they test their navigation and coordination.

Despite the extremes, Death Valley National Park is an outstanding destination for endless exploration and exhilarating adventure. Encompassing numerous ecosystems and contrasting radical geography, Death Valley is truly a realm like no other. Whether hiking some of the stunning trails, traversing the various landscapes, sightseeing through the historical buildings and mining communities, or simply reveling in the pure solidarity and tranquility of nature, I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

So, before you make assumptions about Death Valley, we encourage you to check it out for yourself! Just try not to schedule your trip for the middle of the summer like I did. :) Have you been to Death Valley, or is it still on your bucket list? Tell us in the comments below!