Many unhappy visitors would say ”nothing but desert, sand, and salt”, but Death Valley is so much more than that. Most definitely not as dead as it sounds. In this below sea level basin, you can find a lot of extremes, especially the summer heat. It’s the driest place on the continent. And yet the peaks are covered in sparkling snow in the winter. In spring it offers beautiful wildflowers. No matter what time in the year you go, you can always find the beauty and enjoy the amazing scenery. And don’t forget your camera.

Before you go

RESEARCH – Before you go, search for the places you want to see, things you want to do… It might help you choose where do you want to stay and how long can you stay there. Most important pieces of information you can find on a U.S. National Park Service site, a lot of interesting stuff and personal experiences from fellow travelers and bloggers, and my favorite, travel guidebooks. You never know whether you’ll have a reception on your phone, so it’s good to have some paper maps in your hand. I found a really useful map with trails and other information: Death Valley National Park: Trails Illustrated National Parks.
   

ENTRANCE FEE – Like in other National Parks, there is also an entrance fee, 30$ per vehicle for 7 days. If you are planning to visit more National Parks or even some recreation areas, I recommend buying an Annual Pass, America the Beautiful. It costs 80$, valid for a year and covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults. You can buy it when entering the park, or online at USGS Store or at Rei.

WHEN TO GO – Spring (March-early May) is a very popular season with pleasant temperatures. But it’s also very windy, so it might be unpleasant because of the sand in the air. It’s also the busiest season of the year, so you should book in advance. If the previous winter brought rain there is a possibility of spring wildflowers. Summer (mid-May-September) is too hot for many visitors, but you can tour by car to the main points of interest and still see quite a lot. Hiking in lower elevations can be dangerous because of the heat. Autumn (October-November) is warm, the temperatures are pleasant, and the sky is usually clear. Camping season begins. In Winter (December-February) temperatures drop, but it’s usually not too cold, except in higher elevations. It’s cooler in the morning and there is less daylight.

TRANSPORTATION – There is no shuttle bus available in Death Valley, it’s best to use a car. The main road transecting Death Valley National Park from east to west is California Highway 190. GPS Navigation to sites to remote locations like Death Valley is notoriously unreliable. Numerous travelers have been directed to the wrong location or even dead-end or closed roads. You should always carry up-to-date road maps to check the accuracy of GPS directions.

Where to stay

If you want to stay for more days it’s best to stay in the park. If you are visiting just for a day, maybe it’s best and cheaper to stay somewhere around the park, for example in Death Valley Junction, Panamint Springs or Shoshone. Ridgecrest is also an option, a lot of travelers pass through it while heading to Death Valley.
CAMPING & LODGING in the park is a nice option, but you should book in advance if possible.
AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE & HOTEL – Located in Death Valley Junction, next door to the Marta Becket’s World Famous Opera House, this hotel features uniquely decorated rooms. Death Valley National Park is less than a 15-minute drive away.
HAMPTON INN & SUITES RIDGECREST – This Ridgecrest hotel is within one kilometer of the Maturango Museum. The hotel offers a hot daily breakfast, free Wi-Fi and an indoor swimming pool.
VILLA ANITA IN DEATH VALLEY – Villa Anita, located in Tecopa, is an evolving art installation studio highlighting local artwork and design. Much of the interior and exterior are built from re-purposed materials. The rooms include eco-friendly bathrooms.
SHOSHONE INN – Shoshone Inn features water sports facilities, outdoor swimming pool, and free WiFi. Featuring an ATM, this property also provides guests with a sun terrace. Guests can enjoy Mexican and American dishes at the restaurant or have a drink at the bar.
PANAMINT SPRINGS – You can sleep in a tent or a cabin with a terrace. This property also has one of the top-rated locations in Panamint Springs and features a bar, as well as a restaurant serving American cuisine. Free WiFi is included.

What to do & see

MESQUITE FLAT SAND DUNES

Death Valley is a desert, which many visitors imagine as a land covered in sand. But in reality, less than one percent of the desert is covered with dunes. Located in central Death Valley near Stovepipe Wells, Mesquite Flat Dunes are the best known and easiest to visit in the national park. The dunes are most photogenic at sunrise and sunset. You can hike among them, but in summer’s 44°C, 5 minutes walk on the sand can be quite exhausting. Bring a lot of water, a hat, and a sunscreen.

SALT CREEK INTERPRETIVE TRAIL

This is a short and easy 30 minutes round trip on the wheelchair accessible boardwalk. The boardwalk is open year round, however, the water flows down to the boardwalk only from November through May. The best time to visit is during the Spring when the Salt Creek Pupfish are in spawn. Interpretive signs along the way explain pupfish behavior, their adaptations, and how they relate to another pupfish around the Mojave Desert.

ZABRISKIE POINT

This is one of the most famous viewpoints of the park. It’s just a short walk from the parking spot, slightly uphill, but the view is rewarding. Amazing layers of colors covers the land and rock formations, and it might be the most photogenic place at sunset. You can also start the hike from the point around Badlands Loop.

BADWATER BASIN

Badwater Basin is the lowest point of North America, 86m below sea level. A short walk will bring you to the salt polygons that Death Valley is famous for. Those Salt flats cover nearly 200 square miles and are among the largest protected salt flats in the world. It’s a really great place, but you need to bring plenty of water and sunscreen to walk among the salts.

FURNACE CREEK

Furnace Creek is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. The visitor center, museum, and headquarters of the Death Valley National Park are located here. The village is surrounded by a number of Park Service public campgrounds and two of the Park’s major tourist facilities, the Inn at Death Valley and Ranch at Death Valley.

So, those are the places you can easily visit in a one really hot day. If you are visiting in more pleasant temperatures, be sure to check some other amazing places like Dantes View, Artists Drive, Devils Golf Course, Golden Canyon, Charcoal Kilns, Natural Bridge, Mosaic Canyon and many more.

If you are staying in Ridgecrest, there are some nearby sights you can visit too.

FISH ROCKS

This is a graffiti on rock formations that look like fish. They can be seen off Highway 178, you can drive offroad and walk right up to them. This place, Poison Canyon, officially Salt Wells Canyon, was plagued with graffiti (and still is). The Fish Rocks came about some time in the 1930s or ’40s (some claim even earlier, 1928) and became a favored landmark with the locals.

TRONA PINNACLES

The Trona Pinnacles are unique geological features in the California Desert Conservation Area. The unusual landscape consists of more than 500 tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet, rising from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin. The pinnacles vary in size and shape from short and squat to tall and thin and are composed primarily of calcium carbonate (tufa). The Trona Pinnacles have been featured in many commercials, movies, and photos.