These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
As the largest national park in the United States, Death Valley is also the hottest, driest and lowest park. But don’t let the name and the assumedly desolate landscape stop you from visiting. Spanning over 3 million acres, Death Valley National Park is a wonderful playground with exciting canyons, towering dunes, interesting salt flats, and mesmerizing scenery. It is also home to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet below sea level. There is so much to do and see here. So, we put together the complete guide, which has everything you need to know about Death Valley National Park. This way, you can plan your trip with ease.
The best time to visit Death Valley National Park is mid-October to mid-April. These months have the best temperature, ranging from 60–85°F in the daytime, while the evenings usually drop to lower 50°F. We don’t recommend visiting in the summer. Since the park is known as the hottest place on earth, its world record of the hottest temperature is134°F (57°C) was recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. In summer, temperatures usually average around 120°F (49°C) in the shade with overnight lows dipping into the 90s°F (mid-30s°C.)
If you really want to brave the heat, we recommend bringing tons of sunscreens, water, and shades.
Although you can see many highlights of Death Valley National Park in a day or two, we recommend spending at least 3-4 days here. There is so much to see and do. If you stay longer, you can take time to enjoy the breathtaking and unique scenery here. You can also catch a sunrise or sunset, as well as gazing at the million stars that are out at night.
There is a fee to enter Death Valley National Park. It is $30/vehicle and valid for 7 days. If you already have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use that. There aren’t any manned ranger stations when entering. However, you can pay your fee at the pay stations throughout the park, the visitor centers, or the campgrounds (when staffed). You can check the park’s website for more info.
Death Valley National Park is open 24/7
Death Valley National Park is quite isolated. The closest major airport is the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. It is 2.5 hours to Furnace Creek Visitor Center through the eastern entrance. From San Diego, it is about 6 6-hour drive to Furnace Creek or 5 hours to the western entrance, near Panamint Springs.
You will need to bring a car to drive around this massive park. There isn’t any shuttle service. The main park’s roads are paved so a regular vehicle will be fine. Although, if you’re up for some offroading or planning to go to the Race Track, you will need a 4×4. Make sure to fill up on gas before getting to the park. There are a couple of gas stations inside the park but they are really expensive. There are EV chargers in the park, but not rapid chargers.
There are a few options for lodging inside and nearby Death Valley National Park. This is depending on your budget and how far you want to make that drive. Since Death Valley is very big, we recommend staying close to the main area you wish to explore. For first visitors, we suggest staying near either Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells areas.
We usually camp when we visit Death Valley National Park. There are 7 developed campgrounds in the park. These are Furnace Creek, Texas Springs, Sunset, and Stovepipe Wells. Emigrant, Wildrose, Mesquite Spring. Furnace Creek Campground is the only campground in the park that can be reserved in advance. It also has sites with full RV hookups and RV and tent sites. For more info about these campgrounds, check out the park’s website.
If you’re not a fan of camping, there are 4 different lodgings options inside Death Valley National Park. The Stovepipe Wells Village is located near the Mesquite Sand Dunes. The Inn at Death Valley and The Ranch at Death Valley at Death Valley are located near Furnace Creek. Panamint Springs Resort is located at the western entrance, of Panamint Springs. These lodgings are open year-round.
If you’re willing to drive, you can find more affordable lodgings outside the park. The closest town to the East entrance is Beatty, Nevada. It is about a 45-minute drive from Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Shoshone, California is about a 1-hour drive and Pahrump, Nevada is about a 1.5-hour drive.
From the West side of Death Valley National Park, Lone Pine, California is about 1 hour and 45 minutes drive to Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
Death Valley National Park has many beautiful and interesting points of interest. For most of these, you can just drive up and take a look. However, we recommend getting out of your car and walk around. It is worth it.
Zabriskie Point is one of the best locations for watching the sunrise or sunset. It is also one of the most photographed places in Death Valley National Park. This viewpoint overlooks the stunning badlands below. I love the way the yellow and brown striped hills wrinkle and fold together, creating a fascinating texture. If you’re up for some long hikes, Zabriskie Point can be looped in with Golden Canyon and Badlands Loop, making it one of the most memorable hikes in the park.
A 45-minute drive from Furnace Creek, Dantes View sits at 5,575 ft above Badwater Basin. This viewpoint is another popular spot for photographers. The sunrise and sunset here are especially breathtaking. This spot is also awesome for stargazing. Make sure to bring a jacket and gloves. It gets very cold up here. The drive up to Dante’s View is very windy so make sure to drive carefully.
Artist Palette is tucked behind an unassuming yellow landscape along the Artists Drive Scenic Loop. There is a short hike that leads to Artist Palette. This place is called Artist’s Palette for a reason. The array of colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, pink, and green) splashes across the hills, resembling a paint palette. This place is especially beautiful around sunrise and sunset when the lights and shadows are perfect to further add to the beauty of this place. There aren’t any maintained trails along the drive, but there are several pull-outs that you can park to explore.
Sitting 282ft below sea level, Badwater Basin is an interesting place to visit. We were lucky enough to visit when it was full of water. This place turned into a lake called Lake Manly. It was such an awesome sight to see. However, this was an extremely rare event. Normally, you would see the seemingly endless salt flats with interesting salt crusts. Although Lake Manly was cool to see, in our opinion, the salt flats are much more beautiful to see. We highly recommend walking a way out onto the basin. Here, you’ll get to see the hexagonal salt formations at their best. This place is especially beautiful early morning, late evening around sunset, and also at night for stargazing. The distance can be deceptive. The main salt crust area is about a 30+ minute walk from the parking lot.
Located near Badwater Basin, this is an interesting area full of rock salts. These rock salts are eroded by rain and wind and turn into these unique jagged spires. They are so sharp that “only the devil could play golf on such rough links.”
This short 0.4-mile paved loop takes you to the historic site where you can learn about the stories of the Death Valley borax and the 20-Mule Teams. It is an easy stroll with interpretive panels along the trail. It was pretty cool because we got to learn about borax processing and all the interesting stories of the Mule Skinner, life in Harmony, and more.
This trail is closed at the moment due to flood damage. It is a 0.5-mile ADA-accessible wooden boardwalk loop. We got to visit this area when it was opened. It was such an interesting area because it is one of the very few places where you could see the endangered pupfish. If you want to see the pupfish spawning, the best time to visit is from February to April.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the most well-known and easiest to visit in Death Valley National Park. It is located near Stovepipe Wells. The highest dune here only rises about 100ft, however, the dunes cover a wide area. There is no formal trail here, but the summit of the highest dune is about 1 mile away from the parking lot. Although it is only a mile, it feels like a lot because you’ll be hiking in the sand. Unlike the sand at White Sands National Park, the sand at Mesquite Flat gets very hot in the heat. We recommend hiking out the dunes either early morning or toward the evening. During these times, this area is also especially beautiful as the shadow contrasts against the light, highlighting the curves and ripples of these beautiful dunes. It is a sight to behold.
Death Valley National Park has many hiking trails. Below are some of the more popular trails. If you’re looking for easy hikes, check out your list of 5 easy hikes in Death Valley.
Distance: 1 mi | Elevation Gain: 86 ft | Easy | 45 minutes
Natural Bridge is a short hike that takes hikers to a beautiful arch. It is a pretty cool arch. This hike is short and sweet. However, if you’re up for it, we recommend going further and checking out the slot canyon after the bridge. You will need to be able to do some scrambling, but it is pretty fun.
Distance: 3 – 8 mi | Elevation Gain: 535 ft to 834ft | Moderate to Strenuous | 1.5 to 4.5 hours round trip depending on the routes
If you have time to do just one trail in Death Valley National Park, this is the one. Golden Canyon Trail is also our favorite in the park. We love that you can modify the route to make this trail as short and easy as you want. Although, we recommend doing the whole loop. Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Badlands Loop trail takes you through the heart of the Badlands, pretty much one of the best features of Death Valley. As you hike through a labyrinth of golden-colored hills and meandering canyons, you’ll be glad you did this trail. Don’t forget to bring a lot of water and download an offline map for this.
Distance: 4 mi | Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft | Moderate to Strenuous | 2.5 – 3 hours
Mosaic Canyon is another popular hike in Death Valley National Park. It is located near Stovepipe Wells Village. This is a fun hike, especially if you love scrambling and navigating through obstacles. Many hikers choose to only hike to the first set of the canyon narrows, less than 0.5 miles into the canyon. However, you can adjust your hike to your comfort level.
Distance: 5 mi | Elevation Gain: 1,580 ft | Moderate | 6 hours round trip
If you love an adventure, check out Sidewinder Canyon Trail. This trail is located along Badwater Road, about 20 minutes from Badwater Basin. There is no signage at the parking lot or the hike. So, we highly recommend downloading an offline map or printing out all the directions you need. This hike can be demanding, physically and mentally because you’ll need to be climbing over vertical ledges over 6 ft and squeezing or crawling into tight spaces. But hey, that’s the fun of it, right?
Death Valley National Park has some of the most gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. If you have time, we recommend budgeting your time for this. The best spot for sunrise is at Harmony Borax, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, and Zabriskie Point. If you decide to watch the sunrise at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, make sure to budget your time walking in the sand. It is a lot harder to walk in the sand. The best spot for sunrise would be out near the highest dune. Make sure to bring a jacket. It gets freezing out there in the early morning.
For sunset, we recommend Badwater Basin, Dante’s View, and Zabriskie Point. For Badwater Basin and Dante’s View, don’t forget to budget the drive time and the walking time. At Badwater Basin, there is at least a 30-minute walk to the salt flats from the parking lot.
Death Valley National Park is one of the best places to watch the stars. You could see the Milky Way here. If you can, make sure to plan it around the new moon for some awesome stargazing. The best places to watch the stars are Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Harmony Borax Works, Badwater Basin, and Ubehebe Crater. We even saw the milky way from our campground at Texas Spring.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is an awesome place for sand sledding. It was so much fun when we went. If you want to go fast, you can wax the bottom of the sled. Although, we already went pretty fast without having to do so. If you want to sand sledding here, make sure to choose the area without any debris or people. The last thing you need is to get hurt or to hurt people. Even though the sand here is not as soft as White Sands National Park, you can slide down a lot faster because the dunes here are more steep. Have fun but also make sure to be careful.
There are over 785 miles of roads inside Death Valley National Park that are available for biking. Hundreds of these are suitable for mountain biking. Bicycles are allowed on all park roads that are open to public vehicular traffic. We haven’t got a chance to bring our bikes out yet, but we can’t wait to do so. For more info on what roads work for you, check out the park’s website.
There are many offroad trails here in Death Valley National Park, providing tons of opportunities for exploration. Some of the most popular trails are Titus Canyon, Racetrack Playa, Lippincott Mine Road, Saline Valley Road, and Echo Canyon. These trails are a mix of gorgeous scenery and challenging terrain with unique off-roading experiences for all skill levels. Don’t forget, driving off the established roads is NOT allowed.
Here are some tips to make sure that you have a safe adventure:
Believe it or not, you can golf inside Death Valley National Park. And no, we’re not talking about the Devil’s golf course. There is an actual golf course inside this national park. Furnace Creek Golf Course is the world’s lowest elevation golf course, sitting at 214ft below sea level. We’re not into golfing but if it is something you’re interested on, you can check out their website for more info.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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