Exploring Death Valley National Park

Furnace Creek Visitor Center

I usually like to start my national park experiences at a visitor center. Sometimes I’ll ask for hiking trail suggestions or events happening, and when my kids were little grab the Junior Ranger booklet. At the Visitor Center at Furnace Creek we learned about the plants, animals, Native Americans, and miners of the area.

Things to See at Death Valley NP

There is a lot to see and do in Death Valley. But, be prepared that it is very remote and long drives separate the various sites. The most expensive gas on our entire 3500 mile road trip was in Death Valley.

BADWATER BASIN

Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level and the lowest place in North America. After rain falls in the mountains around Death Valley it runs off into this basin creating a temporary lake. The water has no where to go, so it stays at Badwater until it evaporates leaving behind salt and other minerals. We can’t drink this “bad water,” but a few plants, insects and a rare snail call it home.

DEVIL’S GOLF COURSE

Not too far up the road from Badwater Basin is a place called Devil’s Golf Course. The crystals are nearly pure table salt.

ARTISTS PALETTE

One of the most beautiful sights in Death Valley is a hillside named Artists Palette. These photos just don’t portray how colorful it really is. It was spectacular!

It’s definitely worth it to get off the main road and take Artists Drive, a one-way 9 mile loop through the gorgeous hills. Vehicles longer than 25′ are not permitted.

🎬 Star Wars filming location

There are a number places to pull off and explore. Of course, we checked out the many different kinds of rock.

WILDLIFE

Death Valley is one of the driest places on earth, receiving barely 2″ of rain annually. Even with the harsh conditions, a few special species have adapted including the kangaroo rat, jackrabbit, and desert tortoise. We didn’t see any of those cool creatures, but we did see a few birds and grasshoppers.

DANTE’S VIEW

At sunset we explored Dante’s View. A ranger told us this overlook is deeper than looking into the Grand Canyon, in part because the valley is below sea level.

All day we were roasting hot, but at the viewpoint we were a bit chilly. Our oldest even put on his jacket.

The road to Dante’s View is limited to vehicles under 25′ long.

🎬 Star Wars filming location

SAND DUNES

There are five sand dune areas within the park. The most visited one, due to its location, is Mesquite Flat Dunes. This is the one we explored on our way out of the park.

🎬 Star Wars filming location

The dried out shrubs and trees produce such cool silhouettes.

We tried to arrive early enough to see critters on the dunes before they hide away for the hot parts of the day. Mostly all we saw, though, were tracks.

We did see a whole clan of red ants and a raven.

Villages and Resorts

Death Valley is over 3 million acres. I90 is the main road and goes through the middle of the park with the three village and resort areas sitting along it.

FURNACE CREEK

Furnace Creek has two lodging options, The Inn at Death Valley and The Ranch at Death Valley. It looks like an oasis in the desert.

STOVEPIPE WELLS

We stayed at the hotel in Stovepipe Wells. It wasn’t fancy, but it suited our needs perfectly. And, I give them 2 thumbs up for keeping their restaurant open late. We were starving when we arrived and I was pleasantly surprised they were still serving food.

We woke up to this incredible view in the morning. I heard that those palm trees aren’t native and they don’t want them in the park.

PANAMINT SPRINGS RESORT

Panamint Springs is about half an hour from Stovepipe Wells and has lodging, camping, a general store, and gas.

Moving On

Heading out of the park towards our next destination, Yosemite.

This is only a smattering of things to see in Death Valley. I didn’t realize just how huge this National Park is. We easily could have used a couple more days to explore. If I get the chance again, I would definitely go back.