“How can rock and sand and silence make us afraid and yet be so wonderful ?”
Edna Brush Perkins.
So you are planning an epic getaway. The first place you think of probably isn’t a place with the name “death” in its name. I hear you! I was the same way. However, after a little weekend getaway, I can definitely say that Death Valley National Park should definitely be on your list!
Top Things To Do In Death Valley
If you are like me, you want to stay away from people as much as you can. You want to enjoy nature in its true form. At Death Valley, you have this option, but to see some of the best sites, you will have to deal with all those pesky people. These are the top quick stops we made on our weekend getaway.
5. Zabriskie Point
This was one place with a ton of people. I’m sure there wouldn’t be as many during the day, but we wanted to catch the sunset at this picturesque location. There’s plenty of space to spread out, and the sunset here was stunning.
4. Badwater Basin
We decided to hit up the lowest point in the United States and see what it was all about. The parking lot here is pretty large, and we didn’t have a problem finding parking. There are handicapped-accessible ramps here that lead you down into the basin. There is also a wooden boardwalk that leads out over the initial part of the basin. From here, adventurers can trek out into the GIANT basin. This thing goes on as far as the eye can see. It was worth venturing out and checking out all the cool formations. The farther out you go, the fewer people. Keep in mind it was also incredibly windy.
3. Artist’s Pallete
To get to Artist’s Pallete, you must take Artist’s Drive. Artist’s Drive is a quick 9-Mile One Way Road that leads you through a windy canyon. The drive is pretty fun, and all the dips and tight turns make you feel like you are on a roller coaster. We decided to stop at the first viewpoint and have a little lunch. The view was amazing, and it was nice to hang out and relax. If you continue on the road, you will eventually come to the picturesque Artist’s Pallete. The parking lot here is fairly small, but we didn’t have trouble finding a spot to park. You can then walk into the canyon and get up close and personal with those green and purple mountains.
2. Golden Canyon
If you’ve ever seen Star Wars, you might have already caught some glimpses of Death Valley. Many of the desert scenes in the original trilogy were filmed right here in Death Valley. When you set out on your hike in Golden Canyon, you feel like you are transported into another world. You are hiking through a canyon surrounded by huge other-worldly-looking mountains and formations. From the trailhead, you can hike up to Red Cathedral and then head back to the car. If you feel adventurous, you can continue on the trail into the badlands for a nice scenic hike. It’s the long way back to the car but well worth it.
1. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
This was the highlight of my trip. It was memorable, to say the least. Again, the parking lot is adequately sized, and we didn’t have trouble finding a spot. From the parking lot, you can make your way and explore how you would like. I had my eye set on the tallest dune, and my wife and I zigged and zagged through the dunes and made our way there. The further you venture out into the dunes, the fewer and fewer people you will see. At the top of the dune (really not that terrible of a climb), we came across two other people. We wanted to wait out in the dunes for sunset and stargazing. We found a great spot not far from the tallest dune and watched the sun set behind the mountains.
The sky was on fire!
The dunes lit up in purple and pink, and it was something I’ll never forget. I then failed to heed my wife’s advice of “maybe we should go closer to the parking lot, so we don’t have to hike so far in the dark.” Well, we almost got lost walking back. After enjoying the AMAZING stars (you could see the Milky Way with your bare eyes), we decided to head back to the car. Well, my wife forgot her glasses, so she was essentially going blind. Luckily we had headlamps and a GPS. Just an FYI, it is extremely easy to get disoriented in the desert. It was a new moon, so it was pitch black. We could only see the landmarks we could see from on top of a dune. If we didn’t have GPS, we’d have been camping for the night. Without my GPS, we walked in one giant circle, and I could have sworn we were going in a straight line. After using the GPS, we made it back to the car while being followed by an inquisitive fox. An unforgettable night.
Where To Stay in Death Valley
Death Valley is loaded with campsites. Keep in mind, though during the summer, temperatures get extremely high. The paid campsites do fill up quickly. We arrived at the park on a Friday, and there were limited spots available in the paid camps. These campsites were both full by Saturday morning. Showers are available near the Stovepipe Wells campsite. There are also other free, first come, first served campsites throughout the park as well. If camping out in the boonies with no amenities is more up your alley, part of Death Valley is BLM land. This means as long as you are a mile off the road, you are free to camp anywhere. Just remember, you are on your own for food and bathrooms if you choose to camp this way.
Death Valley also offers multiple hotels/resorts. These locations have air conditioning and are centrally located. If you are traveling here during the summer and do not own an RV, these are almost mandatory to deal with the heat and cool off. We stayed outside the park, and we did think it would be nice to have a cool place to lie down for an hour in between adventures.
We chose to stay outside the park. There are plenty of nearby Airbnb’s nearby. We chose an Airbnb in Beatty, NV. Beaty is located around 30 minutes from the park, and it was an easy drive in and out each day. It was nice to have a full kitchen, fridge, and shower after long hot days. Gas here was also significantly cheaper than inside the park (almost a full $2/gallon). We’d load up the truck in the morning, grab some gas, and eat breakfast on the way in. It’s hard to say what we’d do again, but I think next time, we would choose to camp earlier in the spring.
Things To Remember In Death Valley
- Death Valley is called Death Valley for a reason. Without being adequately supplied, you can have some serious issues.
- If you are hiking, bring more water than you think you will need. We went in the spring. The high was forecasted to be 75 °F, and it wound up being around 95 °F. When it gets hotter than expected in the middle of a hike, it’s too late to bring more water.
- Wear sun protection and sunscreen. You will get scorched in this place.
- This place holds the record for the hottest place on earth. Try to plan your trip around this info. There is little to no shade anywhere in the park. There is also nowhere to cool off. If you must visit during the summer, be extremely careful and take it easy.
- You can camp inside the park, but the campsites fill up quickly. There is also free BLM Camping in the southeast portion of the park. We elected to stay in an Airbnb in Beatty, NV, just 30 minutes away from the center of the park.
Other Cool Things That Didn’t Quite Make the List.
We were only in Death Valley for three days. We were in a mad rush going from place to place, but that is how I like my vacations. If you are in Death Valley for more time, below are some places we recommend.
- Mosaic Canyon – A quick, easy hike through beautiful marble canyons.
- Ubehebe Crater – This is a giant crater caused by an explosion of water meeting hot gas. You can hike around the Crater along with its little twin Small Ubehebe Crater.
- Racetrack Playa – The road here claims to require 4×4, but I think any SUV could make the drive in reality. Take it slow and watch for big rocks, and you should be ok.
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TL;DR
Top Places to Visit: Zabriskie Point, Badwater Basin, Artist’s Pallete, Golden Canyon, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Bring lots of water!
