Of the 9 national parks in California, Death Valley offers one of the most unique landscapes, so otherworldly, in fact, that many scenes from Star Wars were filmed here. Death Valley boasts being the hottest place on Earth, reaching a peak recorded temperature of 134°F at Furnace Creek back in 1913. The arid landscape, mineral deposits, and dynamic geology make Death Valley unforgettable.
In this guide, I'll be covering everything you need to know for a perfect weekend in Death Valley, beyond what the visitor center recommends to tourists. Like many of my blog posts, my guide will focus on long hikes for experienced outdoor adventurers.
Contents
When to Visit Death Valley
Unlike many national parks where the peak season is in summer, Death Valley's peak season is during the cooler months of the year, between October and April. In fact, from mid-April onwards, the Death Valley visitor center no longer recommends any hikes in their visitor guide due to the sweltering heat.
Ultimately, the best month to visit Death Valley is April. Here's why:
Wildflowers: Yes, even in the hottest place on Earth, desert wildflowers will bloom in spring. In my itinerary below, I share my favorite wildflower hike in Death Valley.
Less Rain: Death Valley's most iconic views are best enjoyed on a clear day, when the sun casts the perfect glow on the landscape. During the coolest times of year in December and January, Death Valley can be overcast and rainy. April is a great time of year to enjoy Death Valley without having to worry about the rain.
Perfect Temperature: Personal opinion, but I think you lose the novelty of being at the hottest place on Earth without experiencing a little bit of heat. In April, the temperatures range from a low of 70°F at night to 100°F in the day at Furnace Creek. This is the perfect temperature for a midnight stroll through Badwater Basin. Don't worry, my itinerary has a hike to avoid the midday heat.
How to get to Death Valley
How to get to Death Valley from Las Vegas
The closest major city to Death Valley is Las Vegas, which is a 120 mile drive from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, around a 2 hour drive away. If you're traveling from out of state, the Harry Reid Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas is going to be your best bet to travel to Death Valley for a weekend trip.
How to get to Death Valley from Los Angeles
Many visitors to Death Valley are already based in the Los Angeles area. If you are based out of Southern California, it will be quicker for you to go drive directly to Death Valley. Between Los Angeles and Furnace Creek Campground, the drive is 267 miles and roughly 4.5 hours of driving. If you're worried that the drive between Los Angeles and Death Valley is too long for a weekend trip, this is the route that I took to get to Death Valley. Be mindful of when you leave as rush hour traffic can drastically increase driving time. I left as soon as I got off of work at 3pm, and arrived in Death Valley around 8:30pm. Similarly, when driving back home, I left Death Valley at noon and returned home at 4:30pm.
Where to get gas in Death Valley National Park
Because Death Valley is the largest national park the continental United States, you can bet that you'll be filling up a couple times during your trip.
Luckily, Death Valley National Park has 3 gas stations located in the park: Panamint Springs Gas Station, Stovepipe Wells Gas Station, and Furnace Creek Gas Station. The Furnace Creek Gas Station is centrally-located near most of the destinations recommended in this itinerary. The Stovepipe Wells Gas Station is situated close to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
If possible, try to fill up before and after you get into the park as prices can be quite steep!
Where to Camp in Death Valley
In this section, I'll only be covering recommendations for tent camping in Death Valley National Park. Please note that there are plenty of great campsites for RV use and backpacking in Death Valley; however, those will not be covered in this guide.
Many of Death Valley's campgrounds are seasonal, with many low-elevation campgrounds only open during the winter and high-elevation campgrounds only open during summer. Here's what's open each season:
Summer Campgrounds
Furnace Creek
Mesquite Spring
Emigrant
Wildrose
Thorndike
Mahogany Flats
Winter Campgrounds
Furnace Creek (Reservations recommended)
Sunset
Texas Spring
Stovepipe Wells
Mesquite Spring
Emigrant
Wildrose
Please note that Death Valley is the largest national park in the continental United States, and it takes a long time to drive from one spot to another. Most of the activities in this itinerary are centrally located in the green box.
The best centrally-located campgrounds in Death Valley National Park are Furnace Creek Campground (year-round), Sunset Campground (winter), or Texas Spring Campground (winter). These are located right by the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and within a 30 minute drive from Death Valley's most iconic destinations. These campgrounds are very-well established with bathrooms, water refill stations, picnic tables, and fire pits. Many campsites have trees to provide shade for your tent and picnic table.
The campground with the best views in Death Valley National Park is Emigrant Campground. If you want to wake up to breathtaking views of the Cottonwood Mountain Range, this is the spot for you! This was actually our first-pick when we were planning out our trip. However, this campground only has 10 first-come-first-serve campsites which can fill up quick and lack privacy during peak season.
It is moderately competitive to snag a first-come-first-serve campsite in Death Valley, but not impossible. If you plan to show up on a weekend during peak season, there's a good chance that up to 90% of the campsites may be taken.
The Ultimate Death Valley Weekend Itinerary
If you enjoy long hikes and iconic destinations, be sure to bookmark this page for your Death Valley planning. This itinerary focuses on how to get the most bang for your buck in under 48 hours, stretch your legs, and beat the afternoon heat. This itinerary works best if you set up camp Friday evening and leave Sunday afternoon, but can be shifted around to best meet your schedule.
Itinerary at a Glance
Day 0: Midnight Stargazing at Badwater Basin
Distance: 1.9mi
Elevation Gain: 0ft
Trail Reviews: Badwater Basin Salt Flats Trail on AllTrails
Trailhead: Badwater Basin Trailhead
After setting up camp and having dinner in the evening, a midnight stroll through Badwater Basin is the best way to kick off your adventure.
Badwater Basin is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park and during the day can reach upwards of 100°F from April onwards. Even at these temperatures, Badwater Basin can be surprisingly overcrowded and touristy. Enjoy cooler temperatures and a much more private ambiance after dark.
In addition, Death Valley is 1 of 11 Dark Sky National Parks based in the United States, making it the perfect destination for catching the night sky.
From the trailhead, the Badwater basin trail is a straight, flat 1.9mi out-and-back trail. Bring a headlamp to avoid stepping into potholes along the trail.
Interested in improving your stargazing experience? The Capture the Atlas blog provides a free Milky Way viewing guide that tells you what the best weekends of the year and what times of night you can expect to see the Milky Way.
Day 1: Summit Mount Perry
Distance: 8.7mi
Elevation Gain: +2089ft
Trail Reviews: Mount Perry Via Dante's Ridge
Trailhead: Dante's View
After a long night of stargazing, you'll want to sleep in a bit the next morning. Have a bite of breakfast at camp and learn about Death Valley's unique geology at the visitor center.
As the midday temperature rises, this high-elevation hike is the best way to beat the heat. If you plan to visit Death Valley later in summer, the Wildrose Peak and Telescope Peak are both great high-elevation alternatives. In April, expect both hikes to be covered in snow.
The hike along Dante's Ridge starts at 5400ft above sea level. At 5400ft, the temperatures here were 20°F cooler than at Badwater Basin. In April, temperatures here were between 70°F-80°F in the afternoon.
The hike begins at Dante's View Overlook and follows a rolling ridgeline to Mount Perry. Admittedly, the views at Mount Perry aren't significantly more breathtaking than the view from Dante's Overlook, but the journey is half the adventure!
If you take this trail in April, you can expect to find sparse but beautiful desert wildflowers in bloom. There were entire sections of the trail that smelled like jasmine. You can also find a full selection of Death Valley's unique biodiversity along this hike, from desert cactus to horned lizards to multi-colored lichen.
Be sure to download this map offline and bring good traction with you. This route features multiple false summits before you get to Mount Perry, including some fun scrambles through rock fields.
Tips Compiled: If you finish summitting Mount Perry early in the day, here are additional hikes you can squeeze into your day:
Return to Badwater Basin (2mi). Remember that spot you explored last night? It looks totally different during the day.
Take relief from the sun in a slot canyon at Mosaic Canyon (3.4mi) or Sidewinder Canyon (3.9mi)
Day 1: Blue Hour at Artist's Palette
Distance: Choose your own adventure
Trailhead: Artist's Palette
It's no wonder that Death Valley gained its national park status with the incredibly vibrant landscape of Artist's Palette. This iconic location is situated along the 9 mile long Artist's Drive. At Artist's Palette, you can find huge geologic wrinkles, dosed with blue, green, pink, and yellow minerals.
It is a photographers' dream to capture this multi-colored destination during blue hour, which is the hour shortly after the sun has fully set. During blue hour or twilight, there is less sunlight to wash out the natural colors of the rocks, allowing photographers to highlight the vibrancy of Artist's Palette in post-processing.
There's no defined trail at Artist's Palette. You are free to roam these colorful hills as much or as little as you desire. Follow your heart!
Be sure to sleep early tonight, because you have an early morning ahead of you.
Day 2: Sunrise Hike at Zabriskie Point
Distance: 6.4mi
Elevation Gain: +1082ft
Trail Reviews: Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop
Trailhead: Zabriskie Point
If you're in Death Valley National Park, a sunrise hike at Zabriskie Point is a can't-miss. Even though there are so many amazing spots in the park, this was honestly one of my favorites, and I'm only sad the trail wasn't longer to explore.
Sunrise is the perfect time to hike the Zabriskie Point to Golden Canyon loop. The hike features stunning rock formations, and the sunrise glow hits the rolling hills just right to give it an unforgettable golden glow.
Early in the day, the temperatures are still cool enough to enjoy the full hike. I recommend taking this loop clockwise since the Golden Canyon (eastern) portion of the loop is relatively exposed, while the west half the the loop is shaded by the walls of the canyons, saving the shaded half of the hike for the hotter time of day.
The trail is marked with trail markers and arrows, but it can be easy to get lost in the canyon. Off-trail navigation as a back-up is recommended.
Watch out for Jawas! For you Star Wars fans, you might recognize Golden Canyon as the spot where Jawas spied on R2D2.
Tips Compiled:
Looking to extend your hike? Try a side quest to Red Cathedral (+.9mi).
Got a flight to catch? You can try one of two shorter loops: The Badlands Loop (2.7mi) or the Gower Gulch Loop (4.2mi)
Day 2: Roam Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Distance: Choose your own adventure
Trailhead: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Parking Lot
As you close out your weekend trip to Death Valley National Park, be sure to stop at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes for one last hurrah. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is located outside the main part of the park where most of the action in this itinerary happens, making it a perfect stop as you're entering or exiting the park.
At Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, you can wander through the sand dunes as much or as little as your heart desires. The route to the top of the tallest sand dune and back is roughly 2 miles out-and-back, but is certainly worth the views.
Beware that during summer months, the sand can get very hot. Plastic sandals may melt when in contact with the sand, dress accordingly.
The wind along the ridges can get pretty heavy, and when it picks up sand can feel like sandpaper against your skin. Be mindful if you choose to wear shorts. Minor eye protection like sunglasses can help protect your eyes from sand as well.
Tips Compiled:
Looking to double-down on a fun experience? Bring a sled from home to go sandboarding. The tallest sand dunes are a couple hundred feet tall and can make for a really gnarly ride down
Death Valley is on my list. It seems very much like the Badlands in South Dakota, except for the extreme heat.