At over 5,000 square miles, Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. With so much ground to cover, you may have a hard time deciding what to do in Death Valley.
While Death Valley’s main central attractions can be conquered in one very full day, spending 2-3 days is a great option. Even then, you could easily spend a week here and still not see everything.
Over several trips I have explored extensively what this park has to offer. Below I outline what to do in Death Valley, no matter how much time you have to spend, so that you can make the most of your visit.
Fees, Passes, and Details
Entrance Fees: $25/vehicle, $20/motorcycle, or $12/person on foot or bicycle. Entry fee is good for 7 days. With this entrance fee anyone in a single private vehicle can leave and re-enter the park as many times as they want for 7 days.
There is no toll gate when entering the park. You will need to pay in person (Furnace Creek Visitor Center or Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station) during business hours (card or cash).
Alternatively, you can pay at fee machines (card only) any time of day. Pay stations are distributed throughout the park.
Death Valley Annual Pass: $50/year
National Park Annual Pass: America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80/year). This pass is good for entrance to any national park and it’s a great deal if you are planning to visit several parks in a year. The pass is also good for lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. Overall you get access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites making it a great value.
Website: https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
Phone: (760) 786-3200
Map: Trails Illustrated Death Valley National Park
Getting to and Around Death Valley National Park
The closest major cities to Death Valley are Las Vegas (2 hours and 30 minutes) and Los Angeles (4 hours 30 minutes)
Road conditions are always changing. Be sure to check for alerts and road closures before driving to the park.
Gas is available within the park at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, and Panamint Springs. Expect higher prices within the park.
- If coming from Los Angeles on CA-178, the last gas station is in Trona.
- If coming from Los Angeles on CA-127, then the last gas station is in Shoshone.
- If coming from Las Vegas, the last gas station is in Amargosa Valley before turning onto NV-373.
When to Go
Death Valley National Park is a place of extremes. It holds the record for the hottest place on Earth at 134° F and is the driest place in North America. Badwater Basin, one of its main attractions, is also the lowest place in North America at 282 feet below sea level.
February-May: SPRING WILDFLOWERS! This is the busiest time to visit the park, especially following a wet winter. Lower elevations see blooms from mid-February to mid-April. Elevations from 3000 to 5000 feet usually see blooms from early April to early May. Campsites fill up this time of year so reservations are a good idea. Be ready for warm days with highs in the 70-80’s in February/March, and highs in the 80-90’s in April/May.
June-September: IT’S HOT! It’s called Death Valley isn’t it? Between May and September daily average highs are over 100 degrees. People still visit the park in summer, however usually from the seat of an air-conditioned car.
October-November: This is a great time for camping. Starting in October, the average temperatures remain warm but become pleasant. Expect high temperatures in the low 90’s and low temperatures in the mid 60’s.
December–January: This is also a great time for camping. Expect moderate days and cold nights. Daytime highs are usually in the 60’s and nights dip down to the 30’s.
Where to Camp
There are nine campgrounds operated by the national park system (NPS) and three privately operated campgrounds located within Death Valley National Park (Fiddlers Camground, Stovepipe Wells Village RV Park, and Panamint springs Resort).
Furnace Creek is my favorite place to camp and it is the only NPS operated campground that takes reservations.
What to Do in Death Valley National Park
Despite its grim name, Death Valley offers a varied desert environment with lots to see. The park encompasses expansive salt-flats, five unique sets of sand dunes, wide open valleys, winding slot canyons, snow dusted mountains and colorful badlands. In addition to its desert landscapes and natural features, this vast park offers endless opportunity for adventure from stargazing, hiking, 4-wheel driving, exploring historical sites, and enjoying scenic vistas.
Death Valley is a massive park. Even with a full week you will struggle to see everything. However, the majority of the major sights are concentrated along Badwater Road which runs from the south entrance towards Furnace Creek, and CA-190 which crosses the park at its middle from east to west. If you only have 1-2 full days in the park then focusing on this area will give you the most value for your time.
What to do in Death Valley if you have 1 day
Hit the highlights! The must see-spots are: Badwater Basin, Devils Golf Course, Artists Drive, Zabriskie Point, and Mesquite Flat Sand dunes. See my 2-day itinerary below for details on each location.
What to do in Death Valley if you have 2 days
If coming from Los Angeles, planning your route to enter on CA-178 and exit on CA-190 W (or the reverse) will take you past the majority of the main attractions with one detour on the CA-190 E east to visit Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View. The following sights are listed assuming that you are following this route.
Day 1
The following sights are listed in the order you will pass them if coming from the south and driving towards Furnace Creek.
1) Badwater Basin Salt Flat
At 282 feet below sea level, this expansive salt flat is the lowest place in North America. When standing in the parking lot, turn away from the salt flat and look up at the mountainside across the road to see a sign indicating where sea level would be. The 1 mile walk out and back to the edge of the salt flat is definitely worth it as interesting geometric salt patterns on the ground will become visible.
Time to visit: Allow at least 30 minutes to walk out to the edge of the salt flat and back.
Location: From the intersection of CA-178 and Badwater Road, drive 29.2 miles north (45 minutes). The paved parking lot will be on the left.
2) Devils Golf Course
The salt deposits at the Devil’s golf course have been sculpted by wind and water to form an endless field of mounds and divots covered in jagged little salt peaks.
Time to visit: 10 minutes. The parking lot is the viewing area.
Location: From the intersection of CA-178 and Badwater Road, drive 34.7 miles north. Follow signs for the Devils Golf Course by turning left onto a 1.3 mile graded dirt road, which is passable to sedans. (11 minutes from Badwater Basin).
3) Artists Drive
This scenic 9 mile loop takes drivers winding through pastel colored hills and passes the Artist’s Palette viewpoint, where the colors are most prominent and concentrated. The colors displayed on the hillsides are the result of the oxidation of minerals in the soil (iron produces red/pink/yellow, mica produces green, and manganese produces purple). The drive is one-way and accessible by vehicles less than 25 feet in length.
Time to visit: 30 minutes, 20 minutes to drive and 10 minutes to stop at the viewpoint.
Location: From the intersection of CA-178 and Badwater Road, drive 37.1 miles north. Turn right on Artists drive to begin the loop. (3 minutes north of Devils Golf Course)
4) Hike Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral
This 3 mile out and back hike takes about 1.5 hours to complete. You will travel gradually uphill through a gold-colored canyon and then along tan mudstone hills. After about ¾ of a mile the towering cliff walls of the Red Cathedral come into view. In the last section the trail takes you scrambling right up close to the rock face. Many guides recommend the shorter Natural Bridge Trail as the best hike along Badwater road, however personally I found the Natural Bridge to be underwhelming. I highly recommend taking the extra time to explore Golden Canyon instead if you must choose.
Time to visit: 1.5 hours
Location: From the intersection of CA-178 and Badwater Road, drive 43.7 miles north. Follow the sign for Golden Canyon on the right side of the road. (4 minutes from Artists Drive)
The following sights are along CA-190
5) Watch the sunset at Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point is my favorite scenic viewpoint in the park. From the lookout you gaze out upon the tan and red badlands below, Manly Beacon, and the Red Cathedral Cliffs. Looking further you can see the Panamint Mountains rising on the other side of the basin. This is a great sunrise or sunset spot.
Time to visit: 20 minutes
Location: From the intersection of Badwater Road and CA-190, turn right and head northeast. Take CA-190 E for 3.5 miles and then Zabriskie Point Road will be on the right. (7 minutes from Golden Canyon)
6) Camp in the furnace creek area
My favorite campground is Furnace Creek Campground. However, Texas Springs, Sunset, and Fiddlers Campgrounds are all located in the Furnace Creek area. See my complete post on Campsites in Death Valley for more details.
Day 2
1) Catch the sunrise at Dante’s View
Photo Credit: Thomas Hugel
At 5,475 feet, this lookout provides a bird’s eye view of Badwater Basin and the Panamint Mountains to the West. From the parking lot, follow the trail south along the ridgeline for about 500 feet for the best views.
Time to Visit: 30 minutes.
Location: From Furnace Creek campground, turn right onto CA-190 E and travel 12.4 miles. Turn right onto Furnace Creek Wash Road and travel 7.5 miles. Stay straight on Dante’s View Road for 5.5 miles until the road dead-ends at the parking lot for Dante’s view. (40 minutes from the visitor center)
2) Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Of the 5 sets of sand dunes in the park, Mesquite Flat Dunes are the easiest to visit. You can view the dunes from the parking lot, venture 1 mile out to the top of the tallest dune, or just explore in any direction. The dunes are also a great option for sunrise and sunset as the low angle of the sun creates dramatic contract between the dunes and exposes texture in the sand.
Time to Visit: 30 minutes to 1.5 hours
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 22.4 miles until you reach the parking lot for the dunes which will be on the right. (25 minutes from the visitor center)
3) Hike Mosaic Canyon
The 4 mile (out and back) Mosaic Canyon hike is tied with Golden Cathedral for my favorite hike in Death Valley. The smooth marbled canyon walls juxtaposed with the rough mosaic rock create a visually fascinating series of slot canyons to explore. If you are short on time, the first ½ mile is the best section but the full trail is definitely worth exploring. Expect some easy scrambling sections where you will need to climb over rocks.
Time to visit: 1.5 to 2 hours
Location: From visitor center turn left onto CA-190 W, travel 24.5 miles. Turn left onto the dirt (passable to sedans) Mosaic Canyon Road and travel 2.3 miles until it dead-ends at the parking lot for Mosaic Canyon.
The best things to do in Death Valley if you have more time
Hike
There are tons of great hiking options in Death Valley. Check out my post on Hiking in Death Valley for more details.
Centrally Located Attractions
Harmony Borax Works
Explore the site of Harmony Borax Works, an abandoned borax processing station, which processed ore from 1883 to 1888. The site is famous for using “20-mule teams” to transport the borax across the desert to the railway station. Of all the historical sites in the park, I found this one most interesting.
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W. Travel 1.4 miles and then turn left onto Borax Mill Road. Travel 0.2 miles to the paved parking lot.
Twenty Mule Team Canyon
This short, 2.7 mile, one-way loop made me feel a little bit like Indiana Jones. The dirt road is passable by a sedan but the bumps and turns make it an exciting ride as you roll through tan and rust colored badlands.
Location: From the visitor center, turn right onto CA-190 E and travel 5.9 miles. Turn right at the sign for 20 Mule Team Road.
Salt Creek
Photo Credit: Milan Sommer/ shutterstock.com
This salt creek sees water flows between November and May. The area is home to the Death Valley Pupfish and between February and April they spawn.
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W. Travel 13.1 miles. Following the signs for Salt Creek, turn left and travel 1.2 miles down a gravel road (passable by sedan) to a gravel parking lot.
Keane Wonder Mine
Kean Wonder mine was an operating gold mine in the early 1900’s. This site was recently restored and re-opened. The site is well-preserved and you can see the aerial tramway with the cables still intact.
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 10.6 miles. Turn right onto Beatty Road and travel 5.7 miles. Turn right on the marked road for Keane Wonder Mine and travel 2.9 miles along a dirt road (passable by sedan) to the parking area.
Northern Attractions
Titus Canyon
Photo credit: Laurens Hoddenbagh/ Shutterstock.com
Experience towering canyon walls from the seat of your off-road vehicle. This 26 mile, one-way dirt road takes 3 hours to complete. I have not done this drive yet but, it looks fantastic.
Note: You will need a 4×4 vehicle. If you don’t have one, Farabee Jeep rentals is located in Furnace Creek.
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 10.6 miles. Turn right onto Beatty Road and travel 10 miles. Merge onto Daylight Pass Road and continue for 6.6 miles. Take a sharp left onto Titus Canyon Road.
Racetrack Playa
Photo credit: Bill45/ Shutterstock.com
The racetrack is known for its famous sailing stones that mysteriously travel long stretches across the playa floor. The mystery was solved in 2014, and we now know that the motion is created by very thin layers of ice that melt during periods of light wind. These floating ice sheets then move the rocks, creating deep tracks in the ground along the way.
While I have not yet been out to the racetrack (I don’t have the right car for it), I really want to get out and see it. When I go, I am planning to camp overnight so I can enjoy sunrise and sunset with the sailing stones!
Notes: According to the NPS the road to The Racetrack is rough and requires a 4×4 high clearance vehicle. Drive time from Furnace creek is 3-4 hours one way. If you don’t have a 4×4, Farabee Jeep Rentals is located in Furnace Creek.
Location: From the visitor center turn left onto CA-190 and travel 17.1 miles. Take a right onto Scotty’s Castle Road and travel 33.4 miles. Turn left onto Ubehebe Crater road and travel 5.6 miles. Turn right onto Racetrack Valley Road and begin the 26.3 mile off-road journey to Racetrack Playa.
Ubehebe Crater
This is a great spot to visit if you have extra time as it is only a 1.25 hour drive from Furnace Creek and doesn’t require a 4×4. At 600 feet deep and 0.5 miles wide, the crater itself is massive. Ubehebe is easily viewed from the parking area, but you should take some extra time and hike the rim (0.5 miles) in a counterclockwise direction to see little Ubehebe crater as well.
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 17.1 miles. Turn right onto Scotty’s Castle Road and travel 33.4 miles. Take a left onto Ubehebe Crater road and travel 5.6 miles to the paved parking area.
Rhyolite Historic Area
This ghost town is actually located outside the parks eastern border, just 4 miles west of Beatty, NV. At its prime in 1907, this mining town was home to anywhere between 3,500 and 5,000 people. Today you can view the ruins of the Cook Bank Building, a caboose, the train station, a home made of glass bottles, cars, and visit the Goldwell Open Air Museum.
Location: From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 10.6 miles. Turn right onto Beatty Road and travel 10 miles. Take NV-374 to Rhyolite Road for 15.3 miles. Continue on Rhyolite Road for 1.9 miles to get the ghost town.
Eureka Dunes
At almost 700 feet tall, Eureka Dunes are the highest dunes in California (Mesquite Flat sand dunes are only 140 feet tall). They are located at the far north side of the park and require 20-40 miles of dirt road driving to access, depending on what side you come from. Given their remote location, I have not made it out to them yet but I think camping at the base of the dunes would make a great overnight.
Note: This route requires a 4×4 high clearance vehicle. According to the NPS the drive will take 2.5 hours after leaving the pavement.
Location: To access the dunes from the south take Ubehebe Crater Road for 2.8 miles then turn right on Death Valley Road and travel 44 miles of graded dirt road to the dunes. The dunes are also accessible from the north side via the town of Big Pine and the off-road section is only 21 miles.
West Side Attractions
Wildrose Charcoal Kilns
These 10 beehive-shaped kilns are much larger than they appear in photos. They were built in 1876 to produce charcoal that would then be used to fuel smelting and ore extraction. While impressive, they are 1.5 hours from the visitor center and are located 2 miles down a rough dirt road that pushed the limits of my Mini Countryman. I would only recommend a visit if you are planning to visit other spots along Emigrant Canyon Road.
Location: From the visitor center, turn left onto CA-190 W and travel 33.6 miles. Turn left onto Emigrant Canyon Road and travel 21.4 miles. After passing Wildrose Campground travel straight for another 6.8 miles. The last 2 miles are a little rough (my car has 6 inches of ground clearance and it was sketchy at times).
Thanks for reading my post on Death Valley National Park.
As always please enjoy the park respectfully and always follow Leave No Trace principles. If you found this post helpful please take a moment to like, share, and pin to spread the word.
LIKE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER.
LOOKING FOR MORE?
Disclosure: The product links in this post are affiliate links. Purchases that result from these affiliate links provide a modest commission to this site at no additional cost to you. If like the content on Leave No Tracy, using these links is the best way to show your support! My affiliate relationships do not affect the items I recommend. I only recommend products I have purchased and use myself.
Let me know what you think