DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

CALIFORNIA

AN OVERVIEW

Death Valley is the largest national park in the continental U.S. It is home to a landscape so endless and variant throughout that you can spend weeks exploring this remote world with ease - I have been twice and have not even covered all the most popular spots. This park truly is enormous, and that’s short of understandable. You only realize it when you start going from location to location according to your plans and see that you may not cover the distance you expected and end up having to modify the itinerary. 

This park is called Death Valley for a reason, and it does hold records for lowest point and hottest temperatures. Let me explain further… 

In the early days, this deadly landscape - hence it’s name, which came from lost pioneers in the mid-1800s - became a mining haven for wanderers that missed out on the gold rush on the California coast, and instead stumbled upon borax - a white mineral you didn’t know existed in your many household laundry and cleaning products. There’s even a series from the 1950s called “Death Valley Days,” which documents the early westward expansion across this uncharted desert where you can learn more about Death Valley’s history and the early travelers’ survival in this barren place - check it out.

And for Star Wars fans, Death Valley also is the film location for “A New Hope” and other movies in the series. The NPS has some great location scouting info here.

A Guide

The main highlights in Death Valley are more than enough to fill a week’s worth of exploring, if you have the time, especially if you manage to get out to the northern stretches of its desert where you will be rewarded with absolute solitude, and pitch black nights. Most do come here for the dunes, and in California, these are some of the best. From Mesquite to Eureka to Panamint (and Ibex right outside the park), there is no shortage of warm sand hills. But beyond the sand, there is so much more..

With all these endless options for you to experience Death Valley, there are several practical ways to tailor a weekend visit, or a longer voyage into the desert, and you can combine other locations around the park as well. There are some typical stops that are available to everyone, as they all find themselves on paved roads, but outside of that main southern section from Furnace Creek to Stovepipe Wells, accessible from east and west alike, there are several locations that your rugged 4x4 SUV begs for.

Zabriskie Point

When coming from the east, from the Nevada-side, which is the closest access point (from Las Vegas at just over 2 hours driving), Zabriskie Point is the first place you’ll come across driving into the park, and one of the best. You can see beautiful night skies here, watch an amazing sunrise or sunset, and spend an entire day hiking through its valleys and sharp ridges. Allocate more time than you think here for a wicked time because, depending on the light, these mountains change colors like you wouldn’t believe.

Golden Canyon

What you can see in the distance from the lookout at Zabriskie Point - that endless layer of waves of golden yellow rock - is the aptly named “Golden Canyon.” It is just as impressive as Zabriskie, just from the opposite end, and deserving of a long visit. From the parking lot, you hike about 10-15 minutes through a dried out riverbed until you start seeing multiple paths breaking off, traversing the hills. At this point, you can choose to continue on to the Red Cathedral, or to climb up these random paths, getting lost above the ridges with an impressive 360 view. Sometimes it’s more fun to wander off the main trail, but remember to be conscious of where you step.

Mesquite Flat Salt Dunes

One of the most impressive dunes in the park, and also the most popular, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a must-do, especially if you’ve never been around any dunes. Sand dunes beat you up in more ways than one, so take your time and arrive earlier than expected because the hot sinking sand slows you down as you try to go deeper into the desert to avoid the crowds that hover nearer to the parking areas. Be sure to wear shoes that you don’t mind ruining forever - it’s been years since my first visit, and despite multiple washes, I still find sand in my sneakers. If the sand isn’t too hot, opt for going barefoot, but watch your step.

Artists Palette

Artist’s Palette, sitting mid-way through the winding Artist’s Drive, is a rainbow of sherbert ice-cream colored mountains. It is best seen during golden hour or after the sun sets so the harsh light doesn’t dull out the bright colors. I look back at this spot and wish I had dedicated way more time to it, but with a lot of ground to cover, it was reduced to a quick drive by. I recommend getting here well before golden hour and hiking into the valley toward the colors for different perspectives when the sunlight winds down.

Eureka Dunes

What’s amazing about these dunes is their size (tallest in California, and possibility tallest in North America, says the NPS), their formation (look around you and ask, “where the heck did all this sand come from?”), and their sound (when it’s hot enough out, and you tread quickly around the sand or dig your feet into it with force, they hum and sing in different pitches depending on the temperature and the pressure you apply on the sand).

If you can get here - note that the road is not easy nor kind to your car and your whole body will feel like it’s in a blender for hours. But if you do decide to make the journey, you need to pick whether you come from within the park, the northeastern entrance, or the west. Regardless of origin and path, make sure you start with a full tank of gas (and maybe extra fuel in a container if you plan on moving around from here in the opposite direction of the few available gas stations). And, given the distance to get here and the tiredness your legs will feel if you climb the dunes, I suggest you sleep here enjoying the dunes as much as you can, from sunset to night to sunrise.

The shortest way to get here is a 2 hour drive through Inyo National Forest from Big Pine. The alternative is a 3 hour drive from Stovepipe Wells. Don’t be fooled by Google Maps sayings its 86 miles, which at full speed wouldn’t be terrible. Expect to drive a major portion of the way under 30 mph and sometimes 10-15mph. Finally, be cautious when driving because the last thing you want it to blow a tire and get stuck out here for hours on hours.

Ubehebe Crater

If you’re heading north through the park to Eureka Dunes or Racetrack Playa, stop here if you have the time - it’s on the way anyways. It is truly amazing how every hour or two you drive through Death Valley, the landscape continues to change, drastically. Here you have an enormous crater where you will feel like you are on a different planet. Behind the crater, to the west are black sand hills with scattered rocks: a very eerie, moonlike wasteland. And on the other side, behind the crater (and a few other little ones) - not from extraterrestrial impact I might add - you see the Sierra Nevada mountains as a backdrop. This stop merits a good round of exploring if you have the time.

Salt Creek

Truth be told, this is not the most amazing stop, but it’s a decent little stroll on a cool boardwalk, especially with kids. And if you want to walk along an actual footpath, here is your best (and only) bet. The water has little minnows swimming around and it offers a fresh and unique view of the desert. It is not a mirage.

Devil’s Golfcourse

Similar to Salt Creek, I found this stop to be diversely interesting, but having been there, I would’ve allocated the time elsewhere. The jagged rocks create a dangerously cool landscape. But be careful because the sharp edges you see in the salt deposits really are very dangerous if you fall down.

Badwater Basin (not pictured)

On both my visits I was unable to make it here for one reason or another. I plan to get here soon. Filled with undrinkable water, 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is made up of miles of salt flats, some forming circular patterns on the ground. This is another place I never visited for lack of time and poor planning, but from everything I have read, it is a great place for the sunset (crowds wear thin by this point because it’s very far south) and ideal for star photography. Especially if you’re lucky enough to visit with water lying on the flats.

Dante’s view (not pictured)

This was closed when I drove past it, but the view is supposed to be impressive. It looks down on the Star Wars film location for “Mos Eisley,” the space port in Episode IV, “A New Hope.” 

racetrack playa (not pictured)

On both my visits I was unable to make it here for one reason or another. I plan to get here soon. Research it if you’re interested because it’s quite amazing and a scientific phenomenon that was recently understood with the help of time-lapse technology.

The Basics

LODGING

Camping (or vanlife) truly is the best way to get around and visit the entire park, if you’re game, especially the empty outskirts, which will offer a true and full experience. Grab a tent or a van, reserve your sight (where necessary), and head out into the barren desert. One time I decided to camp, and the other, took a van. Do some research through the NPS beforehand, though, because some locations do not allow overnight stays, some require reservations, some are first serve, and some are so remote you can camp wherever, within certain limits.

On the other hand, if comfort is more up your alley, there are three places to stay in the park, one at Furnace Creek and one at Stovepipe Wells, both of which are affordable, and the Oasis, which is the lux way to come out here. Plan ahead as they all tend to fill up and get expensive.

Your Vehicle of choice, Distances, and Driving In

If you plan on staying in the main part of the park, where most roads are paved, then any car will do, but if you plan on getting off the beaten path, get a SUV with high clearance and rugged wheels. If you can get one with 4x4, even better, but I know it’s hard to guarantee one from a rental company. I used Outdoorsy the second time around and it was an excellent idea.

Death Valley, being as large as it is, has many remote areas worth visiting. Don’t think your Google mapping is incorrect because it says 3 hours to drive 40 miles, for example. This may be slightly overstated at times, but it generally does take that long given the state of the roads, if you can call some of them that. Most of the time, when you’re off the paved areas, you’re moving between 10-30 mph at a maximum, ducking and weaving through rocks to find the least bumpy lanes, and feeling the entire vehicle shaking violently. Whatever time you shave off by going faster will be reapplied for all those stops you’ll want to make so plan ahead and take your time. 

Finally, the shortest way into the main part of the park is from Las Vegas, just around 2 hours. This route leads you directly to the central, paved part of Death Valley, near Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells. Alternatively, you can come from Los Angeles as well for a longer trip, with plenty of great stops on the way up, such as Alabama Hills, Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, or Kings Canyon National Park.

Weather

It’s the desert, and it’s called Death Valley. I think that says it all, but, basically, any time after mid to late April will be too hot to visit, in my opinion. At least until October. The park is named Death Valley for a reason, after all. But, the strange part about the temperature, if you’ve never been to the desert before, is the radical shift from mid-day to mid-night. It can be hot as hell when you’re on those dunes, but come night, you’ll be in your winter clothes with gloves and the works. So remember to layer and be prepared if you come from late fall through the winter.

On the other hand, if you come in the spring, the weather will be hotter in the day, and more mild at night. If you’re camping it might be hard to sleep because it stays very warm and wind is hard to come by. But the highlight about spring (around the end of March) is that you may get lucky and catch some wildflower blooms, or another superbloom.

Unless you have no other option, avoid the summer and plan to go somewhere else if you’re craving adventure. 

chasing light

In case anyone that chases light with their camera is interested, the best sunrise and sunset spots are Zabriskie Point (better for sunrise), Badwater Basin (better for sunset), Artists Drive (best for golden hour or blue hour), and any of the dunes (best for either sunrise and sunset). And don’t sleep on the night sky watching out here. The sky gets very dark.

My Trips

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Death Valley twice now, and it’s easily one of the coolest places I have been to and still I would return at every available chance.

The first time I came for 3 nights in March 2018, and the second as a passing-by trip up the Eastern Sierras for one night only in November 2019. This is the kind of park that begs for at least 3 nights due to its size, and if you can camp or campervan, it would be a better way to experience the more remote areas as I mentioned.

These were my two respective travel companions, Danny (left) and Alonso (right)…

November 2019

On my most recent visit, heading north from Alabama Hills on the way to Yosemite, we took a one-day detour into Death Valley through Inyo National Forest over to Eureka Dunes taking the shorter road in from Big Pine. I had been to these remote dunes before and wanted another glimpse of this location - and I wanted to share how special they were. And for good reason as there was only one other car in the entire valley while we visited and the night sky was clear and brilliant. 

It was interesting heading into Death Valley from California, as opposed to coming from Nevada, like my previous visit. This way in from Big Pine traversed Inyo National Forest, where the roads were amazing and lined with Joshua Trees during one long stretch.

March 2018

My first visit was in late March with the hopes of a superbloom of wildflowers (like the one back in 2016) in the back of my mind, but the rains from the previous fall hadn’t been ideal to spread an abundance of flowers this time around. Still, we had some splashes of yellow and purple color scattered on the sand. On this particular trip, we squeezed a three-day camping trip out of the park and covered a lot of ground, but it still wasn’t nearly enough time to see everything on our bucket list and we had to make changes as we drove around. 

On the first day, we landed in Las Vegas in the evening, picked up supplies, and drove straight to the park through the night, heading to Zabriskie Point for some starry night views and then sunrise. As there is no camping allowed here, we roughed the night and stayed awake until we started our sunrise hike up the hills to the right of the main viewpoint. 

The light started coming down on the mountains across the valley - a perfect way to start the adventure - just as the moon started setting behind the Sierras. 

From here we went to Salt Creek, but this is something I would cut out next time, allocating the time elsewhere, perhaps going to Dante’s View or, better, staying longer at Zabriskie Point.

We then headed to our hike at Golden Canyon, walking into the canyon until we started seeing random ridge paths breaking off from the main trail on our left hand side. We picked a manageable climb and used our best judgment to decide what to climb and got lost on the ridges as we got higher and higher. Eventually we caught a perfect view of the Red Cathedral and a glorious 360 perspective of the canyon from above.

On the way to Eureka Dunes we took an unscheduled stop. Between Beatty Junction and Park Village, to the west was a large area filled with dried salt beds and rivers. We parked on the side of the road off the 190 and just ventured into the endless landscape on the hunt for the unknown. Let’s be honest, I’m probably never going to space, but this is the next best thing. No wonder George Lucas chose this park to be Tatooine.  

The drive to our campsite at Eureka was very, very far. We had to head 3 hours north, but this stop was the highlight of the trip. An SUV with 4x4 was vital and still we were weary of the road the entire way there, praying our tires would hold. Getting to the dunes is an adventure in itself since the terrain continues to shift. We drove over an entire mountain ridge and then curved back and forth past abandoned mines. Then, more gravel for miles. But, finally, the dunes come into view from afar and they get larger and larger as you slowly make your way over. The golden sand is brilliant as you traverse the desert, and these dunes start to grow, sticking out from the center of the valley. We didn’t have enough time to set up camp before losing light so we decided to do it after we came back from our hike in the cold, dark night, which was not easy. 

On the second day, we caught the sunrise from the top of dunes, walking up in the dead of night, heading to the highest point. This far north, it got a lot colder at night than the main part of the park by Furnace Creek, so we started out in our heavier layers, and peeled them off little by little as the morning came to life. It was tough, but manageable and worthwhile. 

Since we skipped the Racetrack because time was running short and we weren’t confident in the remaining gas we had to get there and back, we made our way to Stovepipe Wells to regroup, relax, and have a proper meal after being beat by the dunes all night and morning. We scarfed down some burgers and fries, an ice cold beer, and took a shower by the pool. Its $5 cash to shower here and it is a marvelous feeling shedding the sand. 

When there was about an hour left until sundown, we headed to Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes. These are easier to traverse than Eureka, but they still took their toll. These dunes were jam packed with people in comparison to the less than 10 people at Eureka, but we found some emptier views once we got deeper into the desert from the parking lot. 

The next morning, we packed up the camping gear and drove back to Las Vegas for our early flights back home.