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Death Valley National Park

Death Valley

Challenging California Also in: Nevada

Death Valley National Park to Modernize Critical Water and Wastewater Infrastructure through $69.5 Million Great American Outdoors Act Investment

The National Park Service announced today that Death Valley National Park will begin an $69.5 millio...

Jul 29, 2026
water flowing several feet into the air from a broken blue pipe in a dug out gravel ditch

Van and Trailer Destroyed by Fire on SR-190 in Death Valley National Park

Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on State Route 190 in Death Valley National Park on June 20...

Jun 26, 2026
A white vehcile with red stripe is in the foreground. In the background a person in tan clothing holds a firehose near a smoking vehicle.

Lower Wildrose Road Reopens

On June 2, 2026, the National Park Service reopened Lower Wildrose Road, which was closed for nearly...

Jun 3, 2026
A man in green pants and gray shirt stands in front of a vertical dirt wall. Above and behind it a paved road leads between green bushes.
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Overview

Death Valley National Park holds the records: hottest air temperature ever measured on Earth (134°F), lowest elevation in North America (Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level), and the largest national park in the lower 48 at 3.4 million acres. This is a landscape of superlatives and stark beauty, where salt flats shimmer with heat mirages, sand dunes glow golden at sunset, and colorful volcanic hills look like they were painted by hand. Badwater Basin's vast white salt flat stretches for miles, with polygon-shaped salt crystals crunching underfoot. Zabriskie Point and Dante's View offer overlooks of the basin from dramatically different elevations — Dante's View at 5,476 feet lets you see the entire valley floor with the Panamint Range behind it. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells are the park's most accessible dunes and glow in warm tones during the golden hour. Artist's Drive winds through hills streaked in green, pink, purple, and red from mineral oxidation. Visit between November and March when temperatures are manageable (60-80°F). Summer visitors should stick to air-conditioned vehicles, carry copious water, and avoid hiking entirely during midday heat. Despite its harsh reputation, Death Valley sees spectacular wildflower blooms after wet winters, carpeting the valley floor in gold and purple.

Things to Do

  • Walk the Badwater Basin salt flats
  • Photograph sunrise at Zabriskie Point
  • Hike the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at golden hour
  • Drive Artist's Drive through colorful volcanic hills
  • Visit Dante's View for a panoramic overlook
  • Explore the ghost town of Rhyolite
  • Drive Titus Canyon's narrow gravel road
  • Stargaze under Gold Tier dark skies
Row of loose 12 inch rocks separate a flat, gravel area. Metal picnic bench on far side.

Emigrant Campground

Sites available

RestroomsWater
FreeWalk-in only
overlooking a valley with a few green trees surrounded by mountains

Texas Springs Campground

Sites available

RestroomsWater
$20Walk-in only
a long distance view of RVs and trailers in a gravel area with distant mountains

Sunset Campground

Sites available

RestroomsWater
$18Walk-in only
A rectangular building with mens and womens doors on opposite ends & a third door in center.

Stovepipe Wells Campground

Sites available

RestroomsWater
$18Walk-in only
Eye level bulletin board stands on 2 wood posts. Wood box with hinged top opening attached to side.

Wildrose Campground

Sites available

FreeWalk-in only
a small building with a flagpole

Furnace Creek Campground

Sites available

RestroomsWater
$30 Reserve
Camper sits on dirt ground outside tent with bicycles nearby.

Mesquite Spring Campground

Sites available

RestroomsWater
$10Walk-in only
2' metal tent sign on top of small wood horizontal sign on a post reads, Thorndike Campground.

Thorndike Campground (Primitive)

Sites available

FreeWalk-in only
Pine trees surround wooden sign on wood posts reads Mahogany Flat Campground Elevation 8133 Feet.

Mahogany Flat Campground (Primitive)

Sites available

FreeWalk-in only
Desert campsite with picnic table, metal fire ring, view of tall sand dunes in the background

Eureka Dunes Campground (Primitive)

Sites available

FreeWalk-in only
Homestake Site 1 unpaved road with tent spot

Homestake Campground (Primitive)

Sites available

FreeWalk-in only
Information Board at entrance to Campround

Saline Valley Campground (Primitive)

Sites available

FreeWalk-in only
Notch-leaved Phacelia and Golden Evening Primrose bloom in a desert wash.
Scenic Driving

Explore Wildflowers in Death Valley

Learn about the different flowers you might be able to see in Death Valley during spring months.

1-3 HoursSpring
a one story block building and flag pole
Museum Exhibits

Visit the Furnace Creek Visitor Center

Stop by the visitor center to speak with park rangers and pay park fees and purchase national park p...

15-120 Minutes
A green hummingbird with a purple and white throat drinks from a yellow flower.
Birdwatching

Bird Watching

Roadrunners and ravens and hummingbirds- oh my! With many resident and migratory species, bird watch...

Winter, Spring
Two adults and a child look at a waist high sign next to a wooden and metal wagon in the desert.
Self-Guided Tours - Walking

Harmony Borax Works Self Guided Walk

Harmony Borax Works was instrumental in drawing people to Death Valley in the late 1800s and in the ...

15-35 MinutesWinter, Spring
A vehicle drives along a single lane road through colorful, eroded hills.
Scenic Driving

Tour Artists Drive

Enjoy a scenic drive through a geologic rainbow! Artists Drive is a one-way, nine mile (14.5 km) dri...

25-45 MinutesWinter, Spring
A dirt road through bare brown and yellow striped hills.
Scenic Driving

Drive Twenty Mule Team Canyon

A short scenic drive along an unpaved road through colorful badlands.

15-30 MinutesWinter, Spring
View All 14 Activities
A person stands in front of hills colored brown, cream, pinkish and greenish

Artists Palette

Artists Palette

This scenic vista offers a stunning glimpse into Death Valley’s colorful volcanic past.

Yellow flowers around a three-sided roofless concrete ruin in a desert with mountains beyond.

Ashford Mill Site

Death Valley National Park

Explore the ruins of the historic Ashford Mill and office building.

The image shows a broad, arid landscape with a wooden path leading deep into a salt flat.

Badwater Basin

Desert

No Boating on Lake Manly (Badwater Basin). Launching or recovering any type of watercraft is prohibited. No flotation de...

A hiker walks toward the camera on a wide undulating desert ridge covered with small shrubs.

Dantes Ridge (Mt. Perry)

Death Valley National Park

A strenuous hiking route along a ridge to a high point, with stunning views of the floor of Death Valley and the Panamin...

Shafts of light stream through clouds over a dark mountain range and swirling white salt flats.

Dantes View

Death Valley National Park

Considered one of the best scenic vistas in the park, Dantes View provides a birds-eye view of Death Valley.

View All 30 Places

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Desert Bighorn Sheep Coyote Kit Fox Roadrunner Sidewinder Rattlesnake Pupfish Red-tailed Hawk

Pro Tips

  • 💡 Visit November through March — summer temperatures regularly exceed 120°F and hiking is dangerous
  • 💡 Zabriskie Point at sunrise and Mesquite Flat Dunes at sunset are the two must-do golden hour shots
  • 💡 Gas stations inside the park are extremely expensive; fill up in Beatty, Pahrump, or Lone Pine before entering
  • 💡 Carry at minimum one gallon of water per person per day, plus extra for your vehicle
  • 💡 After wet winters, check ranger reports for superbloom conditions — it's a once-in-several-years spectacle

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Extreme heat in summer with records above 130°F. Winter is the prime season with pleasant 60-80°F days and cold nights. Spring wildflower blooms follow wet winters.

Best seasons: Winter, Spring