Death Valley National Park

The very name evokes all that is harsh, hot and hellish – a punishing, barren and lifeless place of Old Testament severity. Yet closer inspection reveals that in Death Valley nature is putting on a truly spectacular show: singing sand dunes, water-sculpted canyons, boulders moving across the desert floor, extinct volcanic craters, palm-shaded oases, stark mountains rising to 11,000ft and plenty of endemic wildlife. This is a land of superlatives, holding the US records for hottest temperature (134°F/57°C), lowest point (Badwater, 282ft below sea level) and largest national park outside Alaska (more than 5000 sq miles).

Furnace Creek is Death Valley’s commercial hub, home to the park's main visitor center, a general store, gas station, post office, ATM, wi-fi, golf course, lodging and restaurants.

Park entry permits ($30 per vehicle) are valid for seven days and available from self-service pay stations at the park's access roads and at the visitor center.

Explore Death Valley National Park

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Death Valley National Park.

  • Viewpoint

    Dante's View

    Dante's View is an overlook that sits perched at 5475ft atop the Black Mountains, affording stunning panoramic views of the entire southern Death Valley…

  • Natural Feature

    Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

    The most accessible dunes in Death Valley are an undulating sea of sand rising up to 100ft high next to the highway near Stovepipe Wells Village. They're…

  • Viewpoint

    Zabriskie Point

    Not many national park features can say they were celebrated in a 1969 film of the same name, but Zabriskie Point claims that honor thanks to director…

  • Historic Building

    Scotty's Castle

    Closed due to flood damage and not likely to reopen until at least 2020, this whimsical castle was the desert home of Walter E Scott, alias ‘Death Valley…

  • Viewpoint

    Aguereberry Point

    Named for a lucky French miner who struck gold at the nearby Eureka Mine, Aguereberry Point sits at a lofty 6433ft above the desert floor and delivers…

  • Historic Building

    Amargosa Opera House

    An opera house in the middle of nowhere? Yes, thanks to the vision of New York dancer Marta Beckett who fell in love with the 1920s colonnaded adobe…

  • Dunes

    Eureka Dunes

    The far-northwestern reaches of Death Valley cradle these spectacular dunes that, at up to 680ft high, are the tallest in California. It’s a tough slog to…

  • Natural Feature

    Racetrack Playa

    Past the northern end of Hwy 190, it's slow going for 27 miles on a tire-shredding dirt road (high-clearance and 4WD usually required) to the eerie…

  • Farm

    China Ranch Date Farm

    Fed by the mostly belowground Armagosa River and at the end of a narrow canyon, this family-run, organic date farm is a lush oasis in the middle of the…

  • Ghost Town

    Rhyolite Ghost Town

    Just outside the Death Valley eastern park boundary (about 35 miles from Furnace Creek), Rhyolite epitomizes the hurly-burly, boom-and-bust story of…

  • Museum

    Goldwell Open Air Museum

    Near the ghost town of Rhyolite, just east of Death Valley National Park, this outdoor sculpture park was begun in 1984 by the late Belgian artist Albert…

  • Natural Feature

    Ubehebe Crater

    Hwy 190 ends at 600ft-deep Ubehebe Crater, formed some 300 years ago by the meeting of fiery magma and cool groundwater. As the water turned into steam,…

  • Historic Site

    Charcoal Kilns

    Emigrant Canyon Rd climbs steeply over Emigrant Pass for the turnoff to Wildrose Canyon Rd and a lineup of 10 large beehive-shaped charcoal kilns made of…

  • Natural Feature

    Badwater Basin

    The lowest point in North America (282ft below sea level) is an eerily beautiful landscape of crinkly salt flats. Here you can walk out on to a constantly…

  • Natural Feature

    Devil’s Golf Course

    Some 15 miles south of Furnace Creek, salt has piled up into saw-toothed miniature mountains in what was once a major lake that evaporated about 2000…

  • Historic Home

    Lower Vine Ranch

    The house where gold-prospector Walter Scott (aka Scotty) actually lived can only be visited on ranger-led hikes that must be booked in advance via www…

  • Ghost Town

    Skidoo

    Some 6 miles southwest of Stovepipe Wells, Emigrant Canyon Rd veers off Hwy 190 and travels south to the park's higher elevations. En route you'll pass…

  • Museum

    Borax Museum

    On the grounds of the Ranch at Death Valley, this outdoor museum illustrates Death Valley's connection to borax mining, and presents pioneer-era mining…

  • Mine

    Eureka Mine

    In the Panamint Mountains, this gold mine was discovered by French immigrant Pete Aguereberry in 1905 and worked by him until the early 1930s. The mine…

  • Historic Site

    Harmony Borax Works

    Just north of Furnace Creek, a 0.5-mile interpretive trail follows in the footsteps of late-19th-century Chinese laborers and through the adobe ruins of…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Death Valley National Park.

  • Activities

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