Death Valley National Park is located in the desert valley east of the Sierra Nevada, on the state border between California and Nevada.
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the continental United States and North America’s hottest and lowest-lying area.
- Tickets: $30/car/7 days [buy a ticket] or purchase an annual pass to the National Parks of the United States
- The best tourist season: February, March, and November are the best, and December and January are also good [Check the current weather forecast]
- Main scenery: dunes, salt flats, rough terrain, valleys, canyons, stars
- Nearby cities: Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX)
- Pre-departure preparations: book air tickets, rent a car, book a hotel
- Note: Avoid summer travel if possible; extreme heat can be dangerous. Bring a lot of water, fill up the car, print a paper map, and try to go during the day [check the current safety alert]
- What to bring: Binoculars, red flashlight, plenty of water
- Google Maps: Click here
- Death Valley Paper Map: Download and Print
- NPS official website: Click here
Most interestingly, you’ll also see “walking stones,” some weighing as much as 700 pounds, that will move across the dirt surface without any apparent propulsion, leaving a long trail.
Death Valley National Park covers more than 3 million acres, making it larger than the state of Delaware. Of this, 550 square kilometers are below sea level.
It is located on the border between California and Nevada, about 224 kilometers from Las Vegas.
Death Valley National Park has set several North American Records:
- The hottest place in North America: On July 10, 1913, the highest temperature recorded here was 56.7 degrees Celsius (134 degrees Fahrenheit).
- The Badwater Basin here is the lowest point in North America and the second lowest point in the Western Hemisphere: 282 feet below sea level and 84.6 miles (136.2 kilometers) from Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States at 4,421 meters above sea level.
- Walking stones, there are photographs and truth. Please read to the end.
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Table of Contents
Why is it called “Death Valley”?
Hearing the name “Death Valley”, you may feel terrified! First, let’s explain the origin of the name.
During the American gold rush in the 19th century, a group of gold miners passed through here and planned to go to California to mine for gold. Unfortunately, due to the drought and blazing heat, many team members died.
Survivors of the group who successfully crossed this valley said to this valley: “Goodbye, Death Valley”, hence the name.
Is Death Valley worth visiting?
Yes, absolutely! Our family has six people, and everyone had a great time. There are so many jaw-dropping and rare natural landscapes there.
Here, you can see a variety of natural landscapes such as Sand dunes, saline-alkali land, rugged land, valleys, and canyons.
At the same time, the sky in Death Valley is known as the darkest sky, so this is the best place to watch the stars in the night sky, and you can see the stars in the sky very clearly.
We arrived at the hotel in the park that night. Before we arrived, the road was completely invisible, and we were the only ones running in the desert. We were a little scared at the time. Therefore, it is recommended that you arrive during the day as much as possible.
Death Valley National Park has a high score and attention on Google Reviews, as evidenced by the picture below. As of 2019, there have been almost 17,000 reviews, and the total score is above 4.7/5.
Did you know this score is almost over everyone’s favorite, Grand Teton National Park (Grand Teton National Park)? We can also see everyone’s pursuit of Death Valley National Park.
Death Valley National Park is one of many national parks in the United States. Learn about all the national parks in the United States.
⚠️ Death Valley is very hot in summer; lack of water and high temperatures can be life-threatening. So, don’t go there in hot weather. In July 2023, a tourist lost his life in Death Valley due to the heat, which reached 121 degrees Fahrenheit [source].
The best time to visit Death Valley
Death Valley National Park is open all year round, but because the park is dry and hot, summer or even autumn is not a good time to visit.
The annual average temperature table of the park is as follows:
Regarding temperature, February, March, and November are the best seasons to visit Death Valley Park, while December and January are also good. Also, be sure to avoid summer visits.
If the weather is fine, please bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent. The sun is powerful here, the area is very open, and there is no place for shade.
Traffic in Death Valley
Death Valley National Park is located at the bottom of the desert valley in California. There are two international airports around the park:
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (airport code: LAS ): 2 hours
- Los Angeles International Airport (airport code: LAX ): 4 hours
Driving from Las Vegas is the easiest way to go to Death Valley.
If you plan to go to Las Vegas for vacation, spending 1-2 days with your family is strongly recommended.
Remember, Red Rock Canyon is about 20 minutes from Las Vegas, and we strongly recommend everyone to go there.
Where to lodge in Death Valley?
We recommend lodging in the park.
Staying in the park is the best choice if you want to enjoy stargazing at night. It also makes visiting various scenic spots very convenient.
If you live outside the park, you usually choose the two small towns of Amargosa Valley or Beatty, but the driving distance from the park is close to one hour, so it is not recommended.
There are three main accommodation and supplementary supply areas in the park, but the most important attractions are concentrated in the two places marked A and B in the figure below.
You can download the Death Valley National Park map, so print it out and carry it before departure. It will be very convenient for your travels.
The picture above is the core area of Death Valley National Park:
- The yellow marks (A, B, C) in the picture are the lodging areas inside the park, and the areas A and B are the most recommended
- The red marks (1~8) in the picture are recommended attractions
There are four good hotels to choose from:
- Zone A: The Inn at Death Valley, The Ranch at Death Valley
- Zone B: Stovepipe Wells Village
- Zone C: Panamint Springs Resort
Let’s introduce a few hotels in detail:
Zone A: The Inn at Death Valley
It is only 10 minutes away from Furnace Creek Visitor Center, close to Zabriskie Point and Golden Canyon.
Free parking, free WiFi, a restaurant, and an outdoor pool.
If you plan to stay in the park, please try to book in areas A and B to reach various attractions more conveniently. The rest of the park is sparsely populated.
District A: The Ranch at Death Valley
It is very close to the visitor center, and it is very convenient to go to various attractions.
Zone B: Stovepipe Wells Village
Short distance to Mosaic Canyon and Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
The accommodation conditions are not as good as the two hotels in District A.
Zone C: Panamint Springs Resort
It is far away from important scenic spots and not as convenient as Area A and Area B. Options such as cabins are available, and the conditions are average.
Top 8 Sceneries of Death Valley National Park
There are about eight attractions in Death Valley National Park, all concentrated on both sides of the main driveway.
You can play it in about 1 to 2 days. It is best to arrange two days if you plan to watch the stars at night.
In the picture above, we marked the eight most distinctive landscapes in the park with numbers 1~8, and they are:
- Mosaic Canyon: suitable for hiking and climbing, children will love it, but remember to bring enough water
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: Experience the feeling of desert Gobi. The sand is very fine and very comfortable to step on
- Badwater Basin: The lowest point in North America, 855 meters below the water level
- Artists Palette: Admire the colorful valley with its vibrant colors
- Zabriskie Point: a high point for admiring the surrounding mountains and unique landforms
- Golden Canyon: a golden valley, very beautiful
- Devils Golf Course: a large area of saline-alkali land, uneven
- Dantes View: The best viewing platform in the park, with a panoramic view of the entire Death Valley
1. Mosaic Canyon
Mosaic Canyon is only a minute’s drive from Stovepipe Wells Village, and it’s excellent for hiking and climbing, and kids will love it too.
This canyon has a unique landform. It is a marble-like canyon formed by water-washed limestone with gravel embedded in it, and it is 1-2 miles long.
It is composed of smooth marble rock walls, and breccia inlaid in them, which were formed by the erosion of limestone by water in different periods.
The valley is very narrow. Only one person can pass through at a time. Sometimes, you need to climb up and down, which is very adventurous.
When hiking, remember to bring plenty of water. Even in March, the temperature at noon can reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius).
Below is a video shared by YouTuber [The Last Adventurer] that gives an overview of Mosaic Canyon.
2. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
This vast desert truly allows you to experience the feeling of the Gobi Desert.
The sand is very fine and comfortable to step on, and dryness and heat are the main attributes of this location.
The children will love to play barefoot on the beach.
It is also very close to Mosaic Canyon and Stovepipe Wells Village, which can be reached in 5 minutes by car.
We first visited all the attractions around Stovepipe, then drove to the attractions around Furnace Creek, and finally left at high speed without turning back.
Below is an 11-minute video about the dunes of Death Valley shared by YouTuber [Cactus Atlas], with the author’s English commentary.
3. Badwater Basin
Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet below sea level, and the second-highest in the entire Western Hemisphere.
The honeycomb-shaped salt crystallization fields in the basin are gradually formed from the salt crust on the basin’s surface due to the annual rainwater evaporation cycle and repeated freezing and thawing.
Walking here can be dangerous on a hot day, as it is easy to suffer from heat stroke and dehydration. When we went that day, the heat was bearable, but the wind was so strong that it felt like it could blow people up.
It is about a 50-minute drive from Stovepipe Wells Village and a 20-minute drive from Furnace Creek, at the southern end of the entire Death Valley National Park.
The following is the Badwater Basin in different seasons taken by YouTuber [Love Your RV & Boat], with a duration of 17 minutes.
4. Artist’s Palette
Artist’s is a one-way road; along the way, you can see colorful valleys with bright colors.
On the return trip to the north, it is recommended that you visit Badwater Basin first and then the Artists Palette.
This way, when you enter from the entrance, you will come out from the north exit, so you don’t have to go back and forth, saving time.
Below is a video of the drive shared by YouTuber [Travel SzN], in which you can see the beautiful view of the artist’s Palette.
5. Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point is a high point overlooking the surrounding mountains and unique landforms, and you can enjoy the rolling mountains and landforms with important features.
Many years ago, Furnace Creek Lake submerged it. After that, the lake dried up, and the earth’s crust moved, gradually allowing it to surface.
Below is a video about Zabriskie Point shared by YouTuber [MaiVibe], which is only 5 minutes long.
6. Golden Canyon
This golden canyon is a famous scenic spot in Death Valley National Park, California, USA, and it is worth visiting.
This sandy and red rock canyon is known for its majestic terrain and vividly colored rocks, whose color is especially striking at sunset and looks golden, hence the name “Golden Canyon”.
The trails in Golden Canyon are very popular with tourists. The main trail is about 3 miles (about 4.8 kilometers) long.
You can follow the trail deep into the canyon, enjoy the scenery, and also see some interesting geological features, such as fossils in the formation.
At the canyon’s end, there is a trail leading to “Death Valley Point”, which can be climbed to enjoy the panoramic view of the canyon and other parts of Death Valley. this
It is a slightly challenging hiking trail, but you can overlook the panorama of Golden Canyon from a high place, which is an unforgettable experience.
Be aware, however, that Death Valley can be very hot, especially in the summer, when temperatures can often exceed 120°F (about 49°C).
Be sure to bring plenty of water when hiking, and avoid going out in the middle of the day on a hot day.
Below is a video of the hike shared by YouTuber [Magellan and Greyhound], which is about 4 minutes long.
7. Devil’s Golf Course
Devil’s Golf Course is a large piece of salty land, barrens of grass, similar to the Badwater Basin landform, but more uneven, which is also a rare landscape.
Devil’s Golf Course is a vast salt pan.
There used to be a lake thousands of years ago, and over time, the water evaporated, leaving behind a lot of salt and minerals.
The complex and sharp landforms are formed due to mineral crystallization and weathering of the mud at the lake’s bottom. Salt crystals come in strange shapes, like a devil’s golf course.
The salt crystals here will shimmer with subtle luster in the sun, a paradise for photography lovers.
Here, you get a taste of Death Valley’s extreme conditions—the salty corrosion, hot climate, and soil with little moisture make it one of the harshest living environments on Earth. The scenery is unique, spectacular, and impressive.
Below is a video about Devils Golf Course by YouTuber [FlyingDawnMarie]. It is about 6 minutes long.
8. Dante’s View
This is the best viewing platform in the park. At an altitude of 1669 meters, it offers a panoramic view of the entire Death Valley National Park. It is also the best place for stargazing.
From Dante’s View, you can see the lowest point in the park, Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level, about -86 meters), and the highest point, Telescope Peak (11,049 feet above sea level, about 3368 meters).
This superb vantage point offers a glimpse of Death Valley’s extreme dryness, salt pans, mountains, and other features that are the hallmarks of this national park.
The place is famous for the “Dante” in its name, the name of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy.
The name “Dante’s View” suggests that the viewpoint is reminiscent of Dante’s vision of hell and heaven in The Divine Comedy.
YouTuber [Travel’s West] shared the scene of Dante’s View, which is 10 minutes long and has a bird’s-eye view of the entire Death Valley, which is worth seeing.
Watching the Stars at Night
Death Valley National Park is one of the ideal places to observe the starry sky.
Due to its remote location and dry climate, there is little light pollution and atmospheric humidity, which makes the night sky crystal clear and the stars visible.
In 2013, Death Valley National Park was recognized as an “International Dark Sky Park” by the International Dark-Sky Association (International Dark-Sky Association), an excellent astronomical observation site.
In Death Valley, there are several of the best places for stargazing, including:
- Zabriskie Point
- Harmony Borax Works
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- Badwater Basin
- Dante’s View
These places are a certain distance from the park’s main roads and the campsites, which can avoid the interference of car lights and camp lights.
If you’re staying in the park, the lodging is also a great spot for stargazing.
Here are a few dos and don’ts for stargazing:
- Pick the Best Time: When the moon is not rising, the new moon is the best time for stargazing. Avoid full moon periods, as the moonlight will brighten the sky, making stargazing difficult.
- Pack your gear: Nights in Death Valley can get very cold, so you’ll want to pack warm clothing. Bring a comfy chair or blanket since you will spend hours gazing at the stars. Use a flashlight with a red light to prevent ruining your night vision. You can see better if you bring binoculars.
- Use a star map or sky app: Many free or low-cost apps can help you identify constellations, planets, and other celestial objects in the night sky.
- Protect your eyes: In a dark environment, it takes your eyes 15-30 minutes to adapt and start seeing more stars. Avoid looking at your phone or other bright lights, or your eyes will have to re-adapt to the darkness.
The following is a video of the observed starry sky shared by the YouTuber channel [The Oasis at Death Valley], which is shocking.
Walking stone
In the Racetrack Playa section of the park, some 700-pound boulders will move across the dirt surface without any apparent propulsion, leaving a long trail.
These stones move so slowly that we cannot observe their movement with the naked eye, but after a while, we can see the marks they leave on the surface.
The phenomenon is known as a “sliding stone” or “walking stone,” it’s a very interesting natural phenomenon in Death Valley National Park, on the border of California and Nevada, USA.
What is going on?
What mysterious force made the stone move?
YouTube blogger [Physics Girl] and several scientists tried to unravel the mystery, which lasted 15 minutes.
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The Secret of The Moving Rocks:
In 2014, a study by researchers from NASA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography revealed how the sliding stones move [source].
They monitored for two years using GPS and weather monitoring equipment. The findings suggest that the movement of these stones involves the interaction of a rare natural phenomenon: rain, ice, and wind.
While the rain moistens the surface, then the cold night temperatures cause it to freeze into thin ice. As the temperature rises, the ice begins to crack and form large slabs that float on the water.
When the wind moves these slabs, they push against the stones fixed beneath the ice, causing them to move slowly.
So, these seemingly mysterious walking stones are a rare but explainable natural phenomenon.
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FAQs
Why is Death Valley called Death Valley?
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park outside of Alaska, covering an area of 13,649 square kilometers, more than 95% of which are wasteland, mainly sand and stone, with extremely sparse vegetation and relatively poor living conditions.
In the era of the American gold rush in the 19th century, a gold rush team passed here and planned to go to California to pan for gold. However, due to the drought and blazing heat here, many team members unfortunately died.
Survivors of the group who survived the valley said to the valley: “Goodbye, Death Valley”, hence the name.
Is Death Valley Dangerous?
Death Valley is very hot in summer, and the lack of water and heat can be dangerous.
So, don’t go there in hot weather.
When the temperature is right, Death Valley is very safe, not only not dangerous, but also a good attraction for all ages.
Here, you can see a variety of natural landscapes such as real deserts, saline-alkali lands, rugged lands, valleys, and canyons.
At the same time, the sky in Death Valley is known as the darkest sky, so this is the best place to watch the stars in the night sky, and you can really see the stars in the sky.
What is the temperature in Death Valley?
January: 4~19 °C
February: 8~23 °C
March: 13~28 °C
April: 17~32 °C
May: 22~38 °C
June: 28~44 °C
July : 31~47 °C
August: 30~46 °C
September: 24~41 °C
October: 17~34 °C
November: 9~25 °C
December: 4~19 °C
What is the Best Travel Time for Death Valley?
According to the temperature of each month, February , March and
November are the best seasons to visit Death Valley Park, while December and January are also good.
Also, be sure to avoid summer visits, since it is too hot!
