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Despite its somewhat foreboding name, Death Valley is one of the most majestic National Parks in the U.S. The 3.4-million-acre park awes and humbles visitors due to its sheer size and otherworldly feel, but with the right itinerary, you can see the lowest point in North America, climb dunes, hike through colorful canyons and gaze at the Milky Way, all in two days.
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Tips Before Visiting Death Valley
- Avoid Death Valley during the hot summer months, as daytime temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Large sections of the park do not have cell phone coverage, so enjoy being off the grid for a while. However, there’s usually coverage in Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells, where most hotels are located.
- Due to the desert climate, the temperature drops drastically after sunset and can even plummet to near freezing in the winter; layers are crucial.
Samartur CC
Saturday
From Furnace Creek, drive down Badwater Road and start the morning with a hike through Golden Canyon. You won’t find precious metals here; the canyon gets its name from the bright yellow coloring of its walls. The 2-mile trail (round trip) takes less than an hour, making it an invigorating start to the day.
Farther south you will find one of the most iconic attractions in Death Valley: Badwater Basin.
The cracked white earth of the salt flats gives the basin a beautifully apocalyptic look. It’s also famous for being the lowest point in North America.
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is by far the hottest location in Death Valley, so much so that in the summer months, visitors are advised against hiking on the valley floor after 10:00 a.m.
In a testament to California’s amazing geographical diversity, just 85 miles away from this sunken basin you will find the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet, Mount Whitney.
Turn back toward Furnace Creek, and you will encounter Artist’s Drive. This detour is a 9-mile drive through multicolor hills, with a particularly jaw-dropping vista point called the Artist’s Palette. Volcanic deposits formed dazzling shades of blue, green, pink, yellow, red and orange that streak this otherworldly landscape.
For a spectacular sunset, most visitors flock to Zabriskie Point or Dante’s Peak. Zabriskie Point is a shorter drive, around 10 minutes from Furnace Creek, and offers a great view of the badlands of Death Valley. Purple tinges the yellow and brown-lined rock formations as the sun sets, creating a gorgeous sight.
The second viewpoint, Dante’s Peak, is 30 minutes away, but the steep roads and hairpin turns intimidate many drivers. However, the sweeping view of the valley below, bordered by the Panamint Range in the distance, forms one of the most spectacular panoramas in the American West.
At night, Death Valley really shines. Furnace Creek restricts light pollution to support the park’s special designation as a Gold Tier Dark Sky Park, a rare place where the night sky remains almost fully visible to the naked eye.
To see the Milky Way, plan your visit for a night as close to the new moon phase as possible, as the full moon obscures nearby stars. Drive five to ten minutes in any direction from your Furnace Creek hotel and pull over safely. After you get outside and your eyes adjust to the darkness, you can look up and marvel at one of the most detailed views of the universe you have ever seen.
The desert doesn’t offer many dining options. The most popular in Furnace Creek are The Last Kind Words Saloon at The Ranch at Death Valley, decorated in a classically Old West style, or the slightly more upscale Inn Dining Room at The Oasis.
Rick Cooper
Sunday
Drive north from Furnace Creek to explore a different side of the park, starting with a site just five minutes away named Harmony Borax Works. Park near the trailhead and peek into the valley’s history as you walk through the first successful borax mining operation in Death Valley, instituted in the late 19th century.
Then head northwest to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, a favorite spot for those who want to encounter a more Sahara-like desert landscape. The hot, shifting sands make it physically challenging to climb the dunes, but you will be rewarded with the views at the top.
Right after the dunes lies Stovepipe Wells Village, one of the park’s other major “settlements” that offers restaurants, lodging, a ranger station, and even a general store. Grab lunch at the Toll Road Restaurant to prepare for an easy afternoon hike through Mosaic Canyon.
For most people, this is a 2.6-mile round trip hike, as a big boulder at the end of the trail stops all but the most adventurous visitors from progressing. For most of the hike, you will walk through smoothly carved marble walls, until you come across the unique formation that gives the canyon its name: tiny fragments of polished rock encased in natural cement.
Enjoy one last stretch of road before exiting the park at its western entrance. Before you leave, stop at Father Crowley Point, a less visited but beautiful overlook in Death Valley, west of Panamint Springs, for a last glance at the valley below.
Plan your trip to Death Valley National Park at https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm.