👉 Jump to:How to Go | Entrance | Things to Do | Hiking | Camping | Where to Stay | Tips | History | FAQ
Death Valley National Park is the ultimate California desert getaway. I’m a Southern California local who lives only 3 hours from the national park, and I’ve traversed the best Death Valley attractions.
There’s a lot to do at this epic California national park. Go cowboy camping under desert constellations and explore Death Valley ghost towns. Ride down the dunes and hike to desert peaks.
Consider this guide your all-encompassing how-to, what-to, and where-to for Death Valley National Park. I’ll cover the park’s history, visiting information, things to do, when to visit, and where to stay. Let’s get started!
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Table of Contents
How to Get to Death Valley National Park
There are a few ways to get to Death Valley. Coming from Las Vegas or California’s Highway 395 is the easiest way.
From Las Vegas: Hop on Interstate 95 North and turn south on Route 373. This will bring you straight to Death Valley Junction at the southern end of the park. From the junction, head straight to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to gather information before exploring the park.
An alternate route from Vegas is to keep driving north on I-95 until Beatty before turning onto Route 374.
From the west/California: From Los Angeles or the Inland Empire, you must take I-15 north to Highway 395. Turn east on Route 190 to head into the park.
The drive from Las Vegas is about 2.5 hours. The drive from LA to Death Valley takes about 4-5 hours.
Death Valley Entrance Costs, Hours, and Details
🎟️ Entrance – $30 per private vehicle per day, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle, $55 annual Death Valley Park Pass
There are a few no-fee days per year such as National Public Lands Day. Check the official Death Valley website for more information on free national park entrance days.
🕖 Operating Hours – 24 hours, 365 days a year
🚙 Parking – Parking is included in the entrance pass to Death Valley National Park. There are several parking lots throughout the park, including at every trailhead and desert attraction.
🖥️ Website – Death Valley National Park
📝 Reservations – Reservations for camping in Death Valley can be made via Recreation.gov up to 6 months in advance. No reservations are needed to enter the national park.
Things to Do in Death Valley National Park
Hiking, lookout points, stargazing, and sledding down sand dunes – there’s more to do in Death Valley than meets the eye. Here’s a quick rundown of where to do the top Death Valley activities.
🏜️ Lookouts: Zabriskie Point,Dante’s View, and Ubehebe Crater are the top scenic lookouts in the park. You can drive to all of these.
🚶 Hikes: Hiking in Death Valley is a no-brainer. Badwater Basin Salt Flats Trail is one of the easiest hikes for families along the Death Valley National Park valley floor.
Mosaic Canyon Trail is an ideal intermediate hike that includes narrows and scrambling. Telescope Peak is my favorite hike and one of the hardest in the park at over 12 miles long.
⭐ Stargazing: Stargazing is readily available throughout the entire park. I usually opt to set my camera up at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.Badwater Basin is another ideal place for stargazing, as well as any remote area of the park that’s away from major roads and lodging.
👻 Ghost Towns: Exploring the Death Valley ghost towns is another fun pastime. Check out either Ballarat on the western portion of the park, Chloride City, or Greenwater near Dante’s View.
Hiking in Death Valley National Park
🏜️ Dante’s View Trail – Dante’s View is one of the easiest Death Valley trails for the whole family at only 1 mile round-trip. Hikers are rewarded with a 360-degree lookout from the top, 5,000 feet above sea level. More adventurous hikers can continue from the top to Mt. Perry, an 8-mile round-trip desert endeavor.
🔭 Telescope Peak – This is the highest point in Death Valley. Telescope Peak requires a 12-mile hike, climbing nearly 3,300 feet to the impressive 11,043-foot summit. You don’t want to miss the sweeping views of the Mojave Desert across the state border from the top.
⏳ Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Trail – The short 2.3-mile trail isn’t set in stone for Death Valley adventurers. Hike as little or as much as you’d like across the coarse dunes. Bring a sled and race your family members down the dunes or take on the deep terrain by foot.
🎨 Mosaic Canyon Trail – This trail is one of the few in Death Valley with narrow canyon walls. Similar to the slots in Utah, this trail involves shimmying and scrambling. But the views along the way make it worth the extra adventure.
🌁 Natural Bridge Canyon Trail – This 1.4-mile trail is only accessible via a dirt road. 4WD is not required, but I recommend leaving the Porsche at home. Giant Canyon walls and natural rock arches define this desert trail.
Camping in Death Valley National Park
🏕️ Furnace Creek Campground – Furnace Creek is the only campground in Death Valley National Park that accepts reservations. It’s located near the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, and this campground offers full RV hookups. It also has space for tent campers.
🏕️ Texas Springs Campground – Texas Springs is open for Death Valley’s peak winter and spring seasons starting October 15th. It’s first-come, first-serve. The campground is atop the hill above Furnace Creek.
🏕️ Sunset Campground – This is a true desert campground with little vegetation but abundant views of the starry night sky. Car and tent camping is allowed at this first-come, first-serve site. Fires are only allowed at a few designated locations.
Where to Stay in Death Valley
🏨 Furnace Creek Ranch – Also known as ‘The Ranch at Death Valley,’ Furnace Creek Ranch has been welcoming guests since 1933. It was once a working ranch, but this now-private resort features a restaurant, saloon, and 18-hole golf course.
🛌 Stovepipe Wells Village – Stovepipe Wells is one of my top picks for where to stay in Death Valley. It’s close to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and has one of the only general stores in the park. Stovepipe Wells Village also has a swimming pool, perfect for helping guests escape the record summer heat.
🛎️ Panamint Springs Resort – Cabin-style rooms and comfortable yurts are the name of the game at this Death Valley National Park abode. Its remote location makes it one of the best places to stay for stargazing as well.
For more, see my complete guide to where to stay near Death Valley.
Tips for Visiting Death Valley National Park
Avoid Summer Visits
Death Valley holds the record for the hottest air temperature in the world. You read that right – in the world. Skip visiting Death Valley in the summer to avoid extreme temperatures.
While winter and spring may experience some snow, these are the most agreeable times to visit for hiking in the national park. Day temperatures are near perfect but nights tend to cool down exponentially during this time.
I recommend staying in one of the Death Valley lodges as opposed to camping in the winter to stay warm.
👉 Read Next: Death Valley vs Joshua Tree National Park – Which is Better?
Bring the Hiking Essentials
You may need to bring the winter hiking essentials with you depending on when you visit Death Valley. This was the case when I visited in early March.
Death Valley isn’t as flat as some first-time visitors may think. Some mountains in the park boundaries rise to 10,000-11,000 feet above sea level and receive heavy snowfall all winter long.
Make sure you bring hiking essentials if you plan on hiking in winter. These include waterproof hiking boots, Gore-tex gaiters, trekking poles, microspikes, and warm layers. I use the Salomon Cross Hike 2 Gore-tex Boots and Outdoor Research Gore-tex Gaiters to ensure my feet stay dry and warm.
Pick Up an Official Map
Pick up a map at one of the Death Valley visitor centers for in-depth information about the park. Official, National Park Service maps have important information about hiking trails, roads, campsites, and more.
A paper map and compass are some of the most important hiking essentials. Both can save you in a bind and help you get back on track.
Plan at Least 2 Days
Most Death Valley National Park visitors visit the park only as a day trip. But I recommend devoting at least two days to exploring the national park. This way, you don’t have to skimp on which Death Valley attractions you see.
Two days and one night allows you to experience at least two hiking trails, the dunes, salt flats, and the breathtaking starry night sky.
Leave the Pets at Home
It’s absolutely acceptable to drive through the park with pets, but they aren’t allowed in most areas of Death Valley. I recommend leaving pets at home so you aren’t limited on which attractions you can and can’t do in the park.
However, do not leave pets in the car while you hike or explore the park due to dangerous year-round temperatures.
Buy a National Parks Pass
Buy an annual America the Beautiful National Parks pass for year-round access to all 63 American national parks. You can purchase these passes at the USGS store or your local REI for $80.
The one-time purchase allows unlimited national park entrances for the entire year. This gives avid parkgoers bang for their buck.
Take a Day Trip
The Eastern Sierra area where Death Valley is located has many beautiful attractions. Go explore Las Vegas, which is just across the border in Nevada. Check out the many fun things to do in Mammoth Lakes further up Highway 395. The day trip options from Death Valley are endless.
History of Death Valley National Park
Death Valley’s original inhabitants are the Timbisha Shoshone. Death Valley was officially granted national monument status in the 1930s to protect the area from mining. It was also the first desert park established in the United States.
Death Valley National Park is rooted in gold mining history. East Coast miners pushing west in hopes of rumored fortunes cut through Death Valley in the late 19th century. This allowed them to avoid the snowy passes of the Sierra Nevadas.
A few miners settled in the area and decided to make an honest living mining for gold, silver, copper, and borax in Death Valley.
Today, thousands of visitors find solitude among Death Valley’s jagged, glass-like mountains and salinated flats. The park was given national park status in 1994, becoming the first desert national park.
Death Valley has more places devoid of people than imaginable in its 3.4 million acres. Death Valley is the biggest national park outside of Alaska.
Trade in modern luxuries like cell service for endless outdoor recreation opportunities. Visitors can always count on Death Valley to escape into the wilderness and find solitude.
FAQs About Death Valley National Park
What is the most visited place in Death Valley?
Badwater Basin is the most visited place in Death Valley. At 282 feet, this basin is the lowest point in North America.
What is the prettiest place in Death Valley?
The Zabriskie Point lookout is one of the prettiest places in Death Valley. Other high lookouts with views of the entire desert park like Dante’s View and Telescope Peak are beautiful Death Valley locations.
How long do I need to spend in Death Valley?
1 or 2 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Death Valley. Most visitors tackle the park in a single day. However, overnighting your trip allows you to stargaze and experience the national park from a new perspective.
What is the most beautiful part of Death Valley?
High viewpoints like Ubehebe Crater and backcountry hikes like Mosaic Canyon Trail are some of the most beautiful parts of Death Valley.
What is the best town to stay in for Death Valley?
Beatty, Nevada is one of the best towns to stay in for Death Valley. Lone Pine in California is another good town to stay in for Death Valley.
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Have fun exploring Death Valley National Park! Let me know which part of the park is your favorite in the comments below. Oh and bookmark this article on camping in California if you’re interested in more Golden State adventures.
