Death Valley National Park Travel Guide

Death Valley National Park is one of the most dramatic and extreme landscapes on the planet. This 3+ million acre National Park spans the desert border between California and Nevada and is home to the hottest temperature ever recorded, the lowest elevation in North America, and some of the most beautiful desert scenery you’ll ever see. Here is everything you need to know about Death Valley National Park whether you are planning a quick stop on a road trip or making a multi day adventure.

man hiking along the barren stone and dirt mountains ridges of Death Valley national park

Where Is Death Valley National Park?

Death Valley is located in Eastern California, near the Nevada border. Its location makes this National Park a common destination due to its relatively short road trip distance from many major cities and common road trip itineraries.

2 hour drive from Las Vegas
4.5 hour drive from Los Angeles
6.5 hour drive from San Francisco

The park covers over 3.4 million acres, making it the largest national park in the contiguous U.S. and a true road trip paradise.

colorful tri state area map of California locating Death Valley National Park with a cactus near NV and AZ

When Is the Best Time to Visit Death Valley

Avoid Summer (June–August)

Daytime temperatures in the Summer are excessive and often exceed 120°F (49°C). Even the evenings after sunset are very hot and uncomfortable. Be cautious even if you just want to drive through the park in your air conditioned car as your car can overheat as well.

Best Time to Visit is Late Fall to Early Spring (November to March)

Spring is the best time to visit as the cooler weather is perfect for hiking and sightseeing and you will hopefully catch wildflower blooms after a rainy winter. Days can be warm but evenings are comfortable and perfect for star gazing.

Winter in the desert is very cold. The only time you will want to visit during the winter is right after a rain storm as the flooded areas sometimes make for amazing reflections on the foreground. (A similar effect to the flooded badwater basins in the Utah Salt Flats)

Pro tip: Visit in February - April for mild temperatures and fewer crowds. Spring is the best time to visit as the Milky Way will begin to be visible in the night sky.

Places to see on a Road Trip near Death Valley

US 395 in California is one of the most scenic drives in California so consider stopping at Mammoth Lakes or Alabama Hills before or after visiting Death Valley.

There is not much West of Las Vegas but Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock State Park are great places to visit outside the strip.

view of the oasis lush vegetation of the Inn at Death Valley with palm trees, tennis courts, and villas surrounded by barren desert

Where to Stay in Death Valley

The Inn at Death Valley (Luxury) – Historic 4-star resort with palm gardens and a spring-fed pool. This is the most expensive option and will be very pricey during peak seasons and even more so during New Moons when conditions are best for Star Gazing.

Pro Tip - Book way ahead as this will most likely be booked up

The Ranch at Death Valley (Mid-range) – More casual and laid back with family-friendly rooms and a large swimming pool. The cost of this doesn’t necessary reflect what you will get as the rooms are older and very basic. But Air Conditioning and a shower is always better than camping outside (in my opinion). There are multiple restaurants in addition to a marketplace here as well which is helpful for people camping.

Furnace Creek Campground – The only reservation-only campground

Top Places to See in Death Valley National Park

1. Badwater Basin

Walk on the ancient salt flats 282 feet below sea level.This is the lowest point in North America and you will be blown away when you see the marking of sea level way above you on the adjacent mountain behind the flats. Everything is flat so this is more of a walk vs a hike.

Pro Tip: Walk out really far as the further you go the better the salt formations get. The early part of the trail is heavily traffic and you won’t see the salt crack formations you are expecting from the photos.

colorful sunrise pink sky over the white salt flats in Death Valley

2. Zabriskie Point (Sunrise Favorite)

This is arguably the best place to visit for sunrise in the park. This beautiful rolling and sharp terrain features amazing hills with one large pointed mountain as the focal point. Be sure to walk around and enjoy all the different angles and trails as well as see how the colors of the landscape change as the sun shines from different angles. A quick walk up a paved hill will take you to the vista point so this area is very accessible.

Pro Tip: Run out here right after the sun lights up the valley so you can quickly head to Artist’s Palette to see the best conditions.

3. Artist’s Drive & Artist’s Palette

A 9-mile scenic loop featuring colorful mineral-painted hills.

Pro Tip: Head to the Artist's Palette first to experience the best colors as the sun is rising behind the mountains. Once the sun comes up the colors will go away to the naked eye. Once you’ve experienced it then re-drive the loop slower to enjoy the surroundings.

woman in white dress and black hat standing on top of the colorful shades of rocks at Artists Palette in Death Valley National Park

4. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

These are the most accessible sand dunes in the national park as the dunes sit right off one of the arterial roadways, Highway 190. CAUTION: hiking on Sand Dunes is very strenuous and be sure to bring a lot of liquids.

Pro Tip: The best time to come here is in the morning as the overnight wind would have helped erase many of the footprints. As you get further into the higher dunes, less and less footprints will be noticeable. Note, that the wind changes these sand formations and they will look a little different everyday!

golden hour light on the illuminated sand dunes lined with footprints in front of a large steep rock mountain in the background

5. Dante’s View

Drive up to the top of the overlook 5475 feet high above the valley floor with unobstructed panoramic views.

multiple ranges of different colored mountains behind each other as the sun illuminated the top of the back mountain range at sunrise

6. Golden Canyon Trail

A popular 3-mile round-trip hike through deep, narrow canyons and rock formations.

7. Racetrack Playa (Mysterious Moving Rocks)

Famous for rocks that slide across the dry lakebed. This is a great place for star gazing and camping out. 4x4 vehicles are required.

dry mud cracks in a empty lake with a rock that looks to have been dragged across the dry lake bed with mountains in the background

8. Eureka Sand Dunes

These sand dunes are way larger than the Mesquite Flat Dunes but they are far more difficult to get to as well. You don’t need a 4x4 vehicle (unless it has just rained) but the path is very bumpy. These dunes will naturally have far less footprints and are the ideal spot for trying to capture the perfect sand dune photo.

Woman in yellow dress sitting at the top of a sand dune with sand dunes and mountains in the background

9. Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge is 1 mile hike, out and back, and is a beautiful rock bridge perfect for those instagram worthy photos

silhouette of two friends holding hands under the Milky Way star night sky on a sand dune

Stargazing in Death Valley National Park

As a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park, Death Valley offers some of the clearest night skies in the entire U.S. There are so many great stargazing spots and because you are a few hours away from major cities there aren’t many airline flights over the skies as well (i.e. Joshua Tree National Park gets a lot of airplanes travelling to LA and SD and disrupt the night sky).

Easy Locations to get to for catching the night sky:

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Badwater Basin

Harder Locations to get to for catching the night sky:

The Race Track (Requires heavy off duty driving)
Eureka dunes (Requires a long distance of unpaved driving)
Ibex dunes (Requires a 1 mile hike)

man in black shorts and green tank top with a sun hat jumping with his hands and feet out on top of the white salt formations at Death Valley national park

1 Day Death Valley Ultimate Itinerary

Sunrise at Zabriskie Point (get there 30 minutes before sunrise)
Drive Artist’s Drive and visit Artist’s Palette (immediately drive here after sunrise to see the colors pop)
Explore Badwater Basin
Lunch at the Hotel
Sunset and Star Gazing at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes before leaving

2-Day Death Valley Ultimate Itinerary

Day 1:

Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
Drive Artist’s Drive and visit Artist’s Palette
Visit Badwater Basin
Drive to Race Track for Sunset and Star Gazing (camp out recommend)

Day 2:

Hike the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Explore Eureka or Ibex Dunes
Drive to Dante’s View before sunset

What to Pack for a trip to Death Valley

Water (at least 1 gallon per person/day)
Electrolyte tablets
Sunscreen, sunglasses, Hat, UV Protected Shirts, Hats
Hiking shoes
Layered clothing (hot days, cold nights)
Offline maps (limited cell service so download google maps ahead of time)
Camera (Tripod for Star Gazing)

Death Valley Safety Tips

Never hike in the heat of the day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in warm seasons)
Cell service is spotty – download maps offline
Fuel up! Gas stations are limited inside the park
Don’t rely on GPS for remote areas (use printed or NPS maps)
If you have an EV don’t rely on quick charging

Overall

Death Valley is one of my favorites and what I consider to be one of the most underrated National Parks. Its surreal landscapes from sand dunes to mountains and clear night skies make it a perfect place to visit for adventurers and photographers alike. This park is very different than the overcrowded national parks like Yosemite or Zion National Park which makes for a much better and quieter experience.

Death Valley National Park is mostly known for being one of the hottest places on the Earth. Not only is it the hottest national park (with a record of 134 degrees F) but it is the driest and lowest (with a low point of -282 Ft below Sea Level) in the entire U.S. Park System. Plan to visit in the Spring and Fall months and you will be rewarded with some of the best views.