Death Valley National Park is one of the most unique places where one can experience so much diversity and varied landscapes in just a few hours. The park is so huge that in fact, it is the largest park outside of Alaska. There are Sand dunes, rocky peaks, salt flats, slot canyons, and endless hiking trails. The park also offers fascinating night sky views. In February 2013, Death Valley’s night sky was formally designated as the third and largest “International Dark Sky Park”. How cool is that, enjoy the majestic landscape in the daytime and then relax at night under the stars.
Few words to the wise
- The best time to visit the park is between fall and spring as temperatures are more amicable for a hike and sightseeing. Spring is the most favorable time due to the wildflowers season and also you get more daylight hours to enjoy the park.
- There are no shuttle services inside the park so a car is a must for you to be able to get around(unless you are with tour buses).
- You can easily access the park with a car (sedan or SUV vehicle) but if you are looking to explore more challenging terrains and remote backcountry roads, a 4WD vehicle is a must.
- Lunch options are very limited near the Furnace Creek area. Packed sandwiches are available at the visitor center but if you are a vegetarian or don’t like deli sandwiches, consider packing your lunch, snacks, and water for the day to maximize your time at the park.
- Add traffic times to your itinerary as everything is spread out in Death Valley National Park and driving from one place to another will take time. Plenty of parking & restrooms are available at each attraction.
- Cellphone & GPS service is almost nil so get a good map of the park or you can download offline maps that are really useful.
- Be prepared with comfortable clothes, shoes, sunscreens, and
hats, and carry plenty of water while hiking
Hiking@ Death Valley National Park
This National Park has everything from easy, family-friendly trails to more challenging terrains. If you are an active hiker, have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and time is your friend then the opportunities are wide open. Be sure to stop by the Furnace Creek Visitor Center for a quick update about current road and weather conditions. The visitor center has a nice gift shop, bookstore, and clean restrooms. Browsing through the park website is also a good idea for more updated information.https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
We spent a day and here are our one-day highlights at the park. If you plan to stay overnight close to the park, check out my lodging & food recommendations details later in this post.
1. Zabriskie Point Overlook
The overlook gives a glimpse of a huge area of colored badlands mainly brown-black-golden tucked together with a beautiful valley in the background. It’s a short easy walk from the parking lot. You can also hike to Zabriskie point from the Golden Canyon trail and the hike is moderately strenuous.
2. Badwater Basin
The lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin is like a pure white shimmery flat sheet laid down before you wherever your eyes can see
3. Golden Canyon
Golden-colored hills and winding narrow canyons adorn this hike with the dramatic landscape all along the way. It’s a 2 miles round trip and the hike is mostly flat and easy. Be sure to carry plenty of water while hiking, it does get quite hot and dry during the day.
After hiking for 1 mile, you will come across this sign, where you can return back to the Golden Canyon parking lot or continue to hike further. From this point onward all the trails are moderately strenuous to difficult. We did the 1 mile round trip for Red Cathedral, this hike gradually transforms into uphills rock climbing and passing through tight narrow passages.
The path is moderately strenuous but worth every effort when you finally see the 360 view. I must admit, my pictures don’t do justice to the views that you actually see with your own eyes, but still, you get the idea.
4. Devil’s Golf Course
An immense area of rocks where salts get deposited due to erosion by wind and rain. It’s said that these rocks are so incredibly serrated that “only devil could play golf on such rough links”.Please be careful while walking on these rocks, the salt deposits are incredibly sharp with a
5. Artist’s Drive
Artist’s drive is a scenic loop of 9 miles one-way drive that takes you to multi-hued volcanic and sedimentary hills. Throughout the drive, you will be amazed by the mineral-rich colored mountains and the landscape changes at every turn. Although you cannot stop wherever you want, so be sure to stop at designated parking areas and enjoy the view slowly and steadily. This paved road is open to all vehicles less than 25 ft in total length.
Artist Palette is a beautiful multi-colored canyon, it seems the artist just decide to splash the canyons with some pastel colors. This point is clearly marked on your way to the Artist drive and you won’t miss it. There is a small parking lot. You can actually hike Artist Palette depending how far you want to go and have a close-up with colored mountains
6. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Mighty sand dunes smoothly rise nearly 100 ft (30 m) from Mesquite Flat and cover a vast area of the park. During sunrise/sunset, the sun’s rays beautifully accentuate the curves and ripples of the dunes. Mesquite flat dunes are located in central Death Valley near the Stovepipe Wells community. Hike to the high dunes summit is easy and about 2 miles round trip.
We hiked the sand dunes for sunset views and enjoyed every bit of it but then the real magic started after the sun has completely gone down. The sky turned into rich hues of pink, purple, and orange. It was just spectacular but we had already started to hike back and soon realized our mistake. So if you are there either for sunrise/sunset, stay there for a while for an unforgettable experience. This spot is also famous for stargazing on dark nights and moonlight hiking on full moon days.
7. Dante’s Viewpoints
We missed this as we thought we would come back later but Death Valley National Park is huge and if you are coming from Las Vegas, please stop by at this point before heading to Furnace Creek visitor center.
Accommodation @ Death Valley National Park
1. Camping @ Death Valley National Park
There are around 8 campgrounds all over the park and mostly open year-round. The campgrounds are on a first-come, first-served
2. Lodging, Restaurants & Gas
The Oasis at Death Valley National Park: This place is right there in the Furnace Creek area, very close to the Visitor Center. It’s a beautiful resort-style lodging in the desert which has Restaurants, General Store, and Gas Station. This place is on the pricey side and advance booking is recommended.
Stovepipe Wells Village: This is a small community about 30 miles from Mesquite Sand Dunes. The place has Lodging & private camping facilities along with Restaurants, gift shops, a General store, and a Gas Station.
Panamint Springs ( Panamint Springs Resort): This place is further 30 miles north of the Stovepipe village and the accommodation is quite basic. There are both private camping & lodging facilities with restaurants, a general store, and a Gas station. There are individual cabin-style units with a comfortable bed and shower within an affordable price range. We stayed here for a night and had a good time, especially stargazing at night. There is a restaurant just outside the cabins, the food is kind of pricey but hey its a dessert, so I was glad to have something to eat. Vegetarian options are available too with good drinks selection.
Although we were there for a day, I really loved this National Park and hope to be back again for some more adventures. Have you been to Death Valley National Park? What was your favorite spot/hike that you would like to share? Check out my other blog posts on Joshua Tree National Park
