Death Valley National Park, CA Travel Guide
Death Valley National Park, CA Travel Guide
Plan Your Trip
There are more things to see in Death Valley than most first-time visitors expect from the hottest, lowest, and driest place in North America.
The park entrance fee is thirty dollars per vehicle for a seven-day pass, paid at a self-serve pay station, no advance ticket required. The one exception is Scotty's Castle, where limited ranger-guided tours require reservations that sell out fast. Pullouts and parking lots serve most stops without trouble, though popular sunrise and sunset spots like Zabriskie Point can fill up early.
Bring far more water than you think you'll need, fill your gas tank before entering since services inside the park are limited and pricier, and pack sun protection for every stop. Here's a critical pro tip: visit between October and April.
Summer temperatures in Death Valley regularly exceed 120 degrees and can turn a simple walk into a genuine emergency.
Top Things to Do
1. Badwater Basin—stand at the lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level, and watch hexagonal salt polygons form beneath your feet.
2. Zabriskie Point—watch sunrise or sunset over golden badlands carved from a 9-million-year-old ancient lake bed.
3. Artist's Drive—drive a one-way canyon where minerals paint the hills in reds, pinks, yellows, and greens.
4. Harmony Borax Works—walk a free quarter-mile boardwalk loop where twenty-mule teams once hauled 20 million pounds of borax across 165 miles of desert.
5. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes—wander golden dunes rising from the valley floor, one of the most photographed spots in the park.
6. Twenty Mule Team Canyon—drive a scenic loop through badlands once crossed by the legendary mule teams.
7. Salt Creek Interpretive Trail—a free, wheelchair-accessible half-mile boardwalk best visited February through May to see the rare pupfish.
8. Scotty's Castle—tour a Spanish-style desert mansion built on a con man's friendship with a Chicago millionaire, with limited ranger-guided tours by reservation.
Download the Complete Travel Guide
Includes:
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✓ Complete travel guide
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✓ Printable map
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✓ One-day itinerary
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✓ Hidden gems
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✓ Travel tips
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✓ Offline access
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✓ Bonus recommendations not included on this page
Our Self Guided Tour
Want these stories playing automatically as you drive?
Take our Death Valley National Park Driving Tour. It's a self-guided, GPS-triggered audio tour that winds through the largest national park outside Alaska, weaving stories of ancient Lake Manly, the Lost 49ers, and the legendary twenty-mule teams into one unforgettable desert drive.
Free Things to Do
1. Borax Museum—free to enter, with old wagons and mining equipment telling the story of Death Valley's borax economy.
2. Harmony Borax Works—free to explore along its quarter-mile boardwalk loop.
3. Salt Creek Interpretive Trail—free, wheelchair-accessible, and home to the rare Death Valley pupfish in season.
4. Emigrant Campground—free primitive camping with pit toilets, no water.
5. Marta Becket Monument and Amargosa Opera House—free to view from outside, honoring the ballerina who painted her own audience on the theater walls.
6. Father Crowley Overlook and Vista Point—free scenic overlook of Rainbow Canyon.
THINGS WITH ADMISSION FEES
1. Death Valley National Park entrance—thirty dollars per vehicle for a 7-day pass, fifty-five dollars for an annual pass.
2. Scotty's Castle ranger-guided tour—reservation required, tours sell out fast in season.
Food!
The Inn Dining Room
Fine dining at The Inn at Death Valley, serving Continental and regional cuisine with a decadent Sunday buffet brunch, reservations recommended.
Toll Road Restaurant
A casual Stovepipe Wells Village spot serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with salmon, pork chops, and a black bean burger for vegetarians.
Badwater Saloon
A relaxed pub-style spot at Stovepipe Wells, known for its burgers and a laid-back atmosphere after a long day in the park.
Where to Stay
Budget
Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel and Panamint Springs Resort both offer straightforward rooms inside the park, generally $150 to $250 a night.
Moderate
The Ranch at Death Valley and the historic Amargosa Opera House Hotel combine convenient locations with classic desert charm, generally $250 to $350 a night.
Luxury
The Inn at Death Valley offers four-diamond luxury at Furnace Creek, with rooms and casitas generally $400 a night and up.
1 Day Itinerary
1-Day Itinerary
Morning: Start at the Amargosa Opera House, enter the park, and stop at Zabriskie Point and Twenty Mule Team Canyon.
Afternoon: Visit the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Harmony Borax Works, and Badwater Basin.
Evening: Drive Artist's Drive for the best late-day light, then watch sunset back at Zabriskie Point or Father Crowley Overlook.
2-Day Itinerary
Day 2: Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at sunrise, walk the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail, and drive out toward Scotty's Castle if you have a reservation.
Extra Time: Hike Golden Canyon, visit Devils Cornfield, or drive out to Panamint Springs and Darwin Falls Trailhead.
FAQ's
1. How long does it take to drive through Death Valley?
Without stopping, the route takes about two and a half hours, but most visitors spend a full day or more exploring the overlooks, trails, and historic sites along the way.
2. What is the entrance fee for Death Valley?
The entrance fee is thirty dollars per vehicle for a seven-day pass, or fifty-five dollars for an annual pass.
3. When is the best time to visit Death Valley?
October through April offers safe, comfortable temperatures. Summer regularly exceeds 120 degrees and poses serious safety risks.
4. Is Death Valley good for kids?
Yes, with planning. Badwater Basin, the sand dunes, and the Borax Museum are popular with families, though extreme heat means trips should be timed for cooler months.
5. Do I need a reservation to visit Scotty's Castle?
Yes. Limited ranger-guided tours have resumed after years of closure, and reservations sell out fast in season.
6. How much driving is involved?
The full route covers roughly 100 miles one way through the park, following Highway 190 and connecting roads.
7. What is Death Valley best known for?
Death Valley is known as the hottest, lowest, and driest place in North America, home to Badwater Basin, golden badlands, and a wild mining history built on borax.
8. Are there free things to do in Death Valley?
Yes. The Borax Museum, Harmony Borax Works, and the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail are all free once you've paid the park entrance fee.
Recommended Tours
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