Dante’s View
The best place to understand Death Valley’s scale at once. Badwater Basin and the Panamint Range spread below; it can be much cooler here than on the valley floor.
Decision: skip this out-and-back detour if daylight is limited.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
From my journey through California
A drive through Death Valley
Golden rocks, winding roads and desert to the horizon. Watch a short film from my drive through Death Valley.
Onward, toward Sequoia
From Death Valley to Bakersfield on CA-178
Heading west from Death Valley toward Sequoia, the simplest route runs through Ridgecrest and along CA-178: the Mojave Desert with its Joshua trees, Walker Pass, Lake Isabella and the Kern River canyon. The video shows a stretch of that drive, from the desert to the canyon. The next leg, the approach to the park, is on the Sequoia page.
Current weather
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Weather loads when you open this guide.
Modelled weather for this location; point elevation is approximate. Conditions on trails, summits and elsewhere in the park can differ considerably.
A look at the park
Select a thumbnail for the full view.
How to visit: a car is essential here. Distances are large, cell coverage is limited, and even a short walk can be dangerous around midday in summer.
Areaabout 3.4 million acres / 13,800 km²
Badwater Basin−282 ft / −86 m
Temperature record134°F / 56.7°C at Furnace Creek
Historyborax + the famous 20-Mule Teams
Best starteast entrance from Las Vegas, very early in the morningRealistic time6–8 hours with viewpoints; longer with a full hikeTransportcar only; fill the tank first and download an offline map
2–3 hoursZabriskie Point → Furnace Creek → Artist’s Palette → Badwater Basin.
Half dayAdd Dante’s View, Harmony Borax Works and a short Golden Canyon walk.
Full dayFollow the complete sequence below and finish at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
Suggested order from the Las Vegas side
Zabriskie Point
The classic view over golden badlands. Light is strongest early and late in the day, and the overlook lies just off CA-190.
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Check the temperature, road closures and current warnings. Refill water before starting down Badwater Road.
Golden Canyon
Walk only a short canyon segment or complete the longer Gower Gulch loop. In warm weather, begin early.
Artist’s Drive and Artist’s Palette
A paved loop through multicolored hills. The entrance and exit are separate points on Badwater Road — never turn against one-way traffic.
Devil’s Golf Course
A field of jagged salt formations. Stay close to the established viewing area and avoid walking far across the uneven surface.
Badwater Basin
The ramp and boardwalk provide a view without a long walk. The standard walk toward clearer salt polygons is about 1 mi / 1.6 km round trip, but shorten it in heat.
Harmony Borax Works
A compact interpretive trail explains borax processing and the famous 20-Mule Teams.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Choose your own turnaround. Reaching the tallest dune is about 2 mi / 3.2 km round trip, and deep sand makes progress slower than the mileage suggests.
Optional hikes
Harmony Borax Works Loop 0.4 mi / 0.6 km · 30 min · easy
Distance0.4 mi / 0.6 km
Time30 min
Difficultyeasy
Gain50 ft / 15 m
Golden Canyon — Gower Gulch Loop 4.3 mi / 6.9 km · 2.5 h · moderate
Distance4.3 mi / 6.9 km
Time2.5 hr
Difficultymoderate
Gain850 ft / 259 m
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes 2.0 mi / 3.2 km · 1.5 h · easy–moderate
Distance2 mi / 3.2 km RT
Time1.5 hr
Difficultyeasy–moderate
Gain185 ft / 65 m
Badwater Salt Flat1.0 mi / 1.6 km RT · flat · only in safe temperatures
Distance1 mi / 1.6 km RTTimepace dependentDifficultytechnically easyGainflat
Walk from the boardwalk toward the clearer salt surface. NPS explicitly advises against this route when it is hot.
Natural Bridge1.0 mi / 1.6 km RT · 45 min · easy
Distance1 mi / 1.6 km RTTime45 minDifficultyeasyGain86 ft / 26 m
A rocky canyon leads beneath a natural bridge. The short access road is unpaved, so check current conditions.
Summer: plan longer walks very early. Death Valley is not one viewpoint — it is an enormous road-trip park.
Sources: NPS — Hiking ↗ · NPS — Conditions ↗