Without question, someplace named Death Valley doesn’t sound like a very inviting place to visit. After you learn that it’s one of the hottest and driest places in the world, that becomes even more the case.
In reality, though, Death Valley National Park has incredible diversity in landscapes, flora, and fauna. It’s also the largest U.S. national park outside Alaska, and it’s larger than the states of Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut. With all that area, there’s a lot to do and see, and here are 15 things to make your time there unforgettable.
Zabriskie Point
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This is the first stop in Death Valley for many people. It’s an overlook with a view of rugged, colorful badlands, with the Death Valley salt pan and the Panamint Mountains in the distance. If you’re a photographer, the best time to be here is at dawn.
Golden Canyon
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Golden Canyon’s terminus is at the other end of those badlands you see from Zabriskie Point. A mostly easy trail winds through those badlands, letting you see them up close, and you can turn it into a loop by connecting with Gower Gulch.
Badwater and the Salt Flats
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At 282’ below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. A salty pool there often perfectly reflects Telescope Peak, more than 11,000 vertical feet higher, at sunrise. This spot also provides easy access to the vast Death Valley salt pan– just make sure you have sunglasses, since this spot can be blinding even on cloudy days!
Sand Dunes
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This park has expanses of sand dunes in several locations. The best-known and easiest to access are at Mesquite Flat. If you’re up to a long drive on dirt roads, though, you can head out to the dunes in Eureka Valley; they’re among the tallest sand dunes in North America.
Wildrose Charcoal Kilns
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Up near the head of Wildrose Canyon are ten 25’-high beehive-shaped kilns constructed in 1877. Powered by coal, they were used as smelters for mined ore from nearby ranges.
Telescope Peak
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Not far past the charcoal kilns, the road gets steep and rugged, usually requiring 4WD. It leads to a campground and the trailhead for Telescope Peak, the highpoint of Death Valley NP. At 7 one-way miles with 3000’ of elevation gain, the trail is strenuous, but the views are spectacular, taking in the vast salt pan below and, to the west, the crest of the Sierra Nevada. Near the summit, you’ll hike through a grove of bristlecone pines, which are the world’s oldest and longest-living organisms.
Dante’s View
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A winding road climbs to this viewpoint that stares across Death Valley and down to Badwater, more than 5000’ below. Fun fact: This was where they shot the view of Mos Eisley in the original Star Wars (the aforementioned Golden Canyon and Mesquite Flat dunes are also settings in the film)..
Ubehebe Crater
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A little over 2,100 years ago, a volcanic eruption occurred here, leaving behind a colorful, 600’-deep crater. Today, you can hike down into the crater and then back up.
The Racetrack
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If you have a high-clearance vehicle, you can extend your visit to Ubehebe Crater by driving often-bumpy roads to the Racetrack; expect 1 ½ – 2 hours of driving each way. The racetrack is a playa, a dry lake bed, and it’s famous for its “moving” rocks; when weather conditions are right, rocks at the southern end of the plays “migrate,” leaving trails (tracks) behind.
Scotty’s Castle
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A wealthy couple built this place in the 1920s as a vacation home, but an eccentric local cowboy known as “Death Valley Scotty” claimed he had built it with riches earned from secret gold mines nearby. Since 2015, the “Castle” has been closed due to flood damage, but you can book a tour of the grounds and learn about the flood and the restoration efforts.
Mosaic Canyon
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Mosaic Canyon, near the Mesquite Flat dunes, offers an easy hike through colorful walls polished by flash floods. The official trail ends at a dry waterfall, but if you’re intrepid enough to climb it or figure out how to bypass, solitary adventure awaits.
Titus Canyon
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A one-way road climbs to a mountain pass in the Grapevine Mountains (from which there you can do a moderately difficult off-trail hike up Thimble Peak for incredible views). Then it descends and passes a ghost town and winds through a narrow, steep-walled canyon just wide enough to accommodate vehicles.
Darwin Falls
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Would you like to see a waterfall in the desert? Darwin Falls is pretty remote, but it’s fed by a spring that flows year-round. It’s a wet and green oasis in the middle of one of the harshest landscapes on the planet.
Salt Creek
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Salt Creek is another oasis, and it’s much easier to get to. There’s a boardwalk with interpretive signs to help you understand the uniqueness and the value of this location.
Saratoga Spring
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Almost at the very southern end of the park and way off the radar of most visitors, this site features spring-fed marshes and a pond/lake. This yet-another Death Valley oasis is large and permanent enough to attract and support birds and other species you normally expect to find in much-wetter areas.
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Traveling can be an exhilarating experience, opening our eyes to new cultures, landscapes, and ways of life.
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