I feel like Death Valley has a bad rap. When I first told my sister that I had visited the park, she inquired why anyone would desire to go to a place with death in its name. I’ll admit the name may not appeal to the masses. But that’s also part of its appeal for the millions of visitors who flock there yearly. They know what others don’t. Death Valley is pretty stinking cool. Where else can you explore a crater that’s as big as Manhattan, ponder why rocks suddenly glide across the ‘racetrack’ even though no one has seen them move, skip over massive sand dunes while getting Star Wars deja-vu, trip out on the painted rocks along Artists Drive, and eventually fall asleep to shooting stars in one of the darkest skies you’ll ever see. But that isn’t even half of it. Death Valley is a massive park, the largest outside of Alaska, and the amount of driving required to see the different things is a lot! You should invest in some planning before you go to ensure you are being strategic with your time (and your gas). So many options can be overwhelming so I’ve narrowed down the top ten things to do in Death Valley National Park.

• Zabriskie Point
• Dantes View
• Artists Drive
• Badwater Basin
• Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• Telescope Peak
• Mosaic Canyon
• The Racetrack
• Ubehebe Crater
• Devils Golf Course

Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is just a no-brainer. This is one of those: pull into a giant parking lot, walk up a bit of a hill, and BAM, get smacked with an epic view type of places. The contrasting colors and textures of the badlands below you in front of the towering Panamint Mountains in the distance make for a scene that looks like a green screen in Hollywood. It’s just too crazy cool to be real. But it is. And it’s beautiful. This is an epic spot for sunrise or sunset, enjoyed by families and photographers alike. Make sure to schedule enough time to go hiking here before or after the sunrise/sunset. Zabriskie is also at a trailhead that goes into the badlands for a closer look at the cool rocks and connects with the Golden Canyon trail from below. If you do the full loop from here, that will cover 6 miles, and you can avoid parking at Golden Canyon, which is always crowded. There are also shorter loop options if you want a taste and to move on. 

• Where: Right off of Highway 190, a 15-minute drive from Furnace Creek Visitor Center
• Walking Required: 1/4 mile to 6 miles
• Best Time To Go: Sunrise or sunset, but really any time!

Dantes View

This one is slightly off the beaten path but not too far. The great thing about this scenic viewpoint is that your car can do all the hard climbing up to 5,575 feet. The road ends at the parking lot, where you can hop out and choose left, right, or center to scamper away to take photos of the expansive desert floor below you. The Black Mountains tower over Badwater Basin, and the views here are truly stunning. It’s no wonder that in 1926, this vista was chosen as one of the best views in the park. On a clear day, you can even see the highest peak in the continental U.S., Mt. Whitney, and the lowest point down at Badwater Basin. You can choose to enjoy some of the vistas close to the parking lot or venture out on the Dante’s Ridge Trail to Mt. Perry for an 8-mile (12.87km) roundtrip hike (1,200 feet (365m) of elevation gain) that makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. The trail can sometimes be faint or non-existent but stays along the ridgeline in case of any uncertainty.

• Where: 45-minute drive from Furnace Creek off of Highway 190
• Walking Required: Minimal to 8 miles
• Best Time To Go: Sunrise or sunset but also after dark for star-gazing

Artists Drive

Artists Drive is among the most incredible scenic drives in any national park. This drive off Badwater Basin Road is nine miles (14.5 km) by car on a one-way road but there are several options to pull over and grab some closer photo ops along the way. The splattered colors all over the rocks play with your mind and make you wonder what is happening in this park. From pinks to blues and yellows and everything in between, the landscape will mess with everything you thought nature was (volcanic deposits of different compositions formed the colors). These are the type of pictures you take and people will question whether or not it’s real. 

• Where: 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of the Hwy 190/Badwater Rd. junction
• Walking Required: 9-mile drive (25 feet (8 m) vehicle restriction) – hiking optional
• Best Time To Go: Afternoon, but blue hour (the hour after sunset) is best for the colors

Badwater Basin

At 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, Badwater Basin is one of the top attractions in Death Valley and the lowest point in North America. Usually, you can drive up to this area and walk for a brief period on a boardwalk before exiting onto hexagonal salt flats covering the land for miles. Turning back around to the parking lot, at any point, you can see the sign on the mountain above you indicating sea level and how far below it you are. In 2024, there were so many massive rainstorms that Badwater Basin filled up with water and saw the return of Lake Manly, which hadn’t appeared in twenty years. The storms dropped so much water that people could kayak and paddleboard on the water, which is expected to last several months before drying up again by summer. Whether you see Badwater Basin with water or without, it’s worth the trip to see the lowest place in North America.

• Where: Badwater Road, 30 minutes (17 miles/27km) south of Furnace Creek
• Walking Required: The boardwalk is easily accessible from the parking lot, but the best views of the salt polygons require a leisurely 1.5-2 mile (2.4-3.2 km) roundtrip walk out onto the salt flats.
• Best Time To Go: Sunrise or sunset

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

While Death Valley boasts several sand dunes in the park, Mesquite Flat sand dunes are the most extensive and accessible. Just a hop, skip, and a dune away from Stovepipe Wells, this is a great place for sunrise or sunset to capture the shadows and light play. The dunes can be deceptive, though! Looking at a dune from afar, it may seem super close, but the tallest one is about a mile away over soft sand, which is more challenging to navigate than a regular trail. Making that extra effort can have its rewards, though. Pack your bag with special snacks and a headlamp, and stay until after sunset to see if you can capture any night-dwelling desert creatures in the sand.

• Where: Just east of Stovepipe Wells Village off CA-190
• Walking Required: Minimal to 2 miles round-trip if you want to go to the tallest dune.
• Best Time To Go: Sunrise or sunset

Telescope Peak

Almost everyone who has heard a thing or two about Death Valley knows it is home to the lowest point in the U.S., but not everyone realizes that this park is also home to some pretty tall mountains. The tallest peak in the Panamint Mountain Range is Telescope Peak, the tallest in the park, sitting at a statuesque 11,049 feet above sea level. This is one of the few places in Death Valley you can visit during summer and not be miserable. In fact, it should be downright pleasant. The trailhead is already at 8,133 feet, so the temperatures will stay cool. This trail clocks in at 14 miles (22.5 km) round trip and a little over 3,000 feet (914 m) elevation gain, so it’s a good idea to get in some training before attempting this one. The trail from Mahogany Flat is straightforward and easy-going until you get closer to the summit. The closer you get, the steeper it seems until you’re standing on top taking pics with the Telescope Peak sign. The 360-degree view is massively rewarding and comes with the feeling that you just went to a part of Death Valley that few visitors ever see. One of the bonuses of this hike is seeing Bristlecone pines along the way, some of the oldest living creatures on earth (some are over 5,000 years old!!).

• Where: The trail begins from Mahogany Flat Campground at the end of Upper Wildrose/ Emigrant Canyon Road. High clearance and 4×4 are recommended for the final 1.5 miles to the campground.
• Walking Required: 14 miles
• Best Time To Go: Spring through Fall, early morning start!

Mosaic Canyon

This canyon is just so dang beautiful. The last time I was hiking here, I encountered a guy who was mesmerized at every bend. He couldn’t hide his fascination with the marbling of the rocks here and the crumbling layers of rocks over there. He had to share his excitement and wonder about how this type of place even existed. That’s what Mosaic Canyon does to people. It is fascinating and awe-inspiring. Even though it’s only two miles one way, there are so many bends and corners that you turn and discover so much geologic artistry along the way. A couple of sections require a little bit of scrambling and even a side trail bypass to get around a dry 20ft. (6m) waterfall. The trail ends at another dry fall that is 25 ft. (7.6m), where the going around gets significantly more challenging. But that’s ok, the things seen up to this point are well worth all the traversing done to get here. Reverse the way you came and get a second look at all the fascinating rocks along the way.

• Where: The 2.3 mile (3.7km) unpaved Mosaic Canyon Road is located in Stovepipe Wells Village, just across from Stovepipe Wells Campground. The road is typically passable in a sedan.
• Walking Required: 4 mi (6.4km) out and back, round trip.
• Best Time To Go: Anytime during the day

The Racetrack

The Racetrack is really far out there. I’m talking several hours of washboard dirt roads out there. But it’s also pretty cool and one of those bucket list items if you go to Death Valley more than once. For years no one knew how these rocks (sometimes quite massive in size), were moving and leaving their ‘tracks’ in the dirt. They finally concluded in 2014 that the combination of slippery mud and ice when it rains with the wind was what created this phenomenon. This is a favorite spot for photographers to capture the night sky as the playa is wide open, and there is free camping at Homestake Dry Camp, not far away. Combining this excursion with a climb to Ubehebe Peak (6 miles round-trip and 1800 feet elevation gain) and a stop at Ubehebe Crater is the way to go.

• Where: So so far. Drive time from Furnace Creek is at least 3.5 hours each way. A 4X4, high-clearance vehicle with heavy-duty tires and plenty of fuel is recommended.
• Walking Required: Minimal. The Racetrack is 3 miles long and 2 miles wide with no trails.
• Best Time To Go: Anytime that it hasn’t rained recently

Ubehebe Crater

The Ubehebe Crater is a great spot to check out on the way to the Racetrack and stretch your legs. This crater, at 0.5 miles (0.8 km) in diameter and ranging from 500-777 feet (152-237 m) deep, is so massive that you can’t get an idea of its depth until you walk around its edge or even down into its abyss. Formed from molten lava that came into contact with groundwater, creating steam, which eventually produced enough pressure to explode through the earth above and make a crater, it is what is referred to as a maar (explosion pit) volcano.

• Where: 8 miles (13km) west of Scotty’s Castle, about an hour away from Furnace Creek
• Walking Required: The walk around the rim of Ubehebe Crater is about 1½ mile (2.4km) round-trip. Walking to the bottom of the crater is 600 feet (182m) of elevation loss and gain. 
• Best Time To Go: Afternoon and sunset

Devils Golf Course

When I first started coming to Death Valley I had no interest in going to the Devils Golf Course. It just didn’t sound that interesting to me. Until I went. Oh my gosh, it is so fascinating! The ground here is otherworldly. The mud and salt have assembled into hard crystal formations by the wind that are so intricate and beautiful when you look really close. If you listen closely, you can also hear tiny pops and pings; the sound is billions of tiny salt crystals bursting apart as they expand and contract in the heat. How cool is that?!

• Where: 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of the Hwy 190/Badwater Rd. junction across from Artist’s Drive via a .5-mile dirt road.
• Walking Required: Minimal to none. You can walk out onto the terrain but note the ground is uneven, jagged, and hard to walk on. Wear sturdy shoes!
• Best Time To Go: Anytime

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Special Considerations for Death Valley

• Don’t go in summer! This place has the record for the hottest air temperature on Earth. Visit any other season.
• Bring lots of water. It can still be hot any time of year, and there is limited water. Come prepared with several gallons in your car.
• Fuel up on gas before going anywhere. The park has two gas stations, but driving to some locations can take hours. Plan ahead, and don’t get caught on empty!
• Cell service is limited to none. Plan out driving directions ahead of time and bring maps.
• There’s an app for the park! The app can provide lots of beneficial information; just download the information for ‘offline use’ since there is limited reception.
• Stay on the trails and roads! The scars caused by off-trail/road travel can last a lifetime. Don’t be that person.
• Pets are only allowed on roads and in developed areas. 
• Do not feed or approach wildlife.
• Wildflowers are bountiful in the spring. Please respect them by not picking or trampling them, enabling other visitors to enjoy their beauty.
• Entrance fee required: $30 for one week

You won’t be disappointed no matter what you choose to see or do in Death Valley. Everywhere you look, there is something cool to check out. It’s just a matter of figuring out what you want to see first!