Death Valley: The most extreme desert in North America
On July 10, 1913, the thermometer in Furnace Creek hit 134°F. That world record for heat has never been broken. Yet, this California desert draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year who come to see its golden dunes, multicolored canyons, and white salt flats that look like another planet.
Why visit Death Valley?
Death Valley National Park lives up to its name. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest place in North America. Badwater Basin, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point on the continent. This 5,250 square mile desert basin is home to over 1,000 plant species and wildlife adapted to extreme conditions.
Pioneers in 1849, lost on their way to the Gold Rush, gave it this grim name after wandering here for weeks. One of them, as he left the valley, reportedly looked back and whispered, Goodbye, Death Valley. The park gained national monument status in 1933, then became a national park in 1994, with a mission to preserve the night sky that makes it an exceptional site for stargazing today.
Major landscapes to explore
Badwater Basin and the scenic drive
The salt crust crunches under your boots. In front of you, a blinding white expanse stretches to the Panamint Mountains. Badwater Basin offers a unique sensory experience: absolute silence, harsh light, and the rough texture of salt polygons formed by evaporation. A sign marks sea level on the cliff behind the parking lot, nearly 300 feet above your head.
Artist's Palette and Artist's Drive
This 9 mile loop winds through hills with improbable hues. The oxidation of volcanic metals has painted the rocks green, pink, purple, and yellow. Colors intensify in the late afternoon, when the low sun accentuates the contrasts. The main viewpoint has a parking area and vault toilets.
Zabriskie Point and the badlands
Sunrise turns this overlook into a show. The low rays sculpt the eroded ridges in golden and then copper tones. The badlands below, carved by millennia of erosion, reveal ochre and beige layers. The parking lot is a few minutes walk from the viewpoint.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
These dunes served as a backdrop for Star Wars to represent the planet Tatooine. Rising 200 feet, they provide an ideal playground for photography at sunrise or sunset, when long shadows reveal every ripple in the sand. The wind erases footprints overnight, so arrive early to discover pristine ridges. The highest dune is about 1 mile from the parking lot.
Pro tip: Plan for sunrise at the Mesquite Dunes and sunset at Dante's View. This overlook, perched at 5,475 feet in elevation, towers over the entire valley and allows you to see the lowest point and the peak of Mount Whitney simultaneously on a clear day.
Surviving Death Valley: Essential precautions
Heat kills between one and three people in the park each year. Carry at least 4 liters of water per person per day. Cell service is virtually non-existent. Fill your gas tank before entering: stations in Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells charge high prices (often $6.00 to $8.00 per gallon) and distances are deceptive. Avoid any hiking between 10 AM and 4 PM from May through September. Your vehicle must be in perfect condition: engine overheating and flat tires are common on remote roads.
The Dark Sky Festival, held in early March, offers astronomy lectures, night photography sessions, and guided outings to observe the clearest sky in California.
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
I think Death Valley is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. Desert stretches as far as the eye can see, and absolutely majestic viewpoints, plus tons of completely different places to see: hikes in the canyons, sand dunes, incredible rock formations, dried-up lakes... My favorite will always be Dante's View, which overlooks the Badwater Basin. Even at the end of October, it was pretty hot for hiking, I do not even want to imagine it in the summer! Stop by the visitor center in Furnace Creek to get all the information you need for your visit!