Sights in Death Valley National Park
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Badwater
The lowest elevation in the US is at notorious Badwater, 282ft below sea level. Walk out onto the boardwalk next to the constantly evaporating bed of salty, mineralized water that's otherworldly in its beauty. To delve deeper into the valley, drive 27 miles south past Mormon Point, then turn right onto 40-mile dirt West Side Road, which heads back north past 4WD turnoffs to several side canyons and meets Hwy 178 just south of the end of Artist's Dr.
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A
Scotty’s Castle
Whimsical Scotty’s Castle is 3000ft above sea level and noticeably cooler than the valley floor. Walter E Scott, alias ‘Death Valley Scotty’, was the quintessential tall-tale teller who captivated people with his stories of gold. His most lucrative friendship was with Albert Johnson, a wealthy insurance magnate from Chicago, who bankrolled this elaborately constructed desert oasis in the 1920s.
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Racetrack Playa
The mysterious Racetrack Playa is a 28-mile trip south of Ubehebe Crater, via a tire-shredding dirt road that requires 4WD. From the natural 'grandstand,' you can observe large rocks that appear to have moved on their own across this mud flat, making long, faint tracks in the sunbaked surface. Scientific theories abound, but nothing has been proven.
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Eureka Dunes
Rising almost 700ft from a dry lakebed, these are some of the world's only dunes to have 'singing sands,' which sound deep bass notes during sandslides. An easier approach to Eureka Valley is from Big Pine, from where it's 28 miles along a paved road, then 21 miles of roughly graded dirt to the dunes.
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Furnace Creek Visitor Center & Museum
Death Valley's Furnace Creek Visitor Center & Museum is where you can pick up maps, books and brochures and find out about free ranger-led interpretive programs. Further on are the ruins of the Harmony Borax Works.
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Desolation Narrows
A challenging canyon scramble goes up Desolation Narrows to an overlook of colorful badlands, but you'll need a good topographical map for it. Take the unsigned dirt road turnoff 4 miles south of the Hwy 178/190 junction, and stay to the left.
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Golden Canyon
A few miles south of Furnace Creek is Golden Canyon, where a self-guided interpretive trail winds for a mile up to the now-oxidized iron cliffs of Red Cathedral. You can keep going up to Zabriskie Point, for a hardy 4-mile round-trip.
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Devil's Golf Course
Driving south on Hwy 190, the valley floor to the west is filled with lumps of crystallized salt in what is nicknamed the Devil's Golf Course. On the east side of the road, stretch your legs with a 1-mile walk to the Natural Bridge.
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Ubehebe Crater
The 770ft-deep Ubehebe Crater was caused by the explosive meeting of fiery magma with cool groundwater. You can loop around its half-mile-wide rim and over to younger and smaller Little Hebe Crater.
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Zabriskie Point
Here you can scramble down into the eroded badlands. With a good sense of orientation, make the 4-mile round-trip hike over to Golden Canyon.
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Borax Museum
At Furnace Creek Ranch, the Borax Museum has a sizeable collection of old coaches and wagons out the back.
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Twenty Mule Team Canyon
A windy one-way loop through an ancient lakebed - it will make you feel like an ant.
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Goldwell Open Air Museum
Trippy installation art started by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski in 1984.
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Dante's View
At 5475ft, the view here is absolutely brilliant at sunrise or sunset.
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