California
Death Valley Highlights
About this adventure route
Death Valley holds the lowest point in North America and, a few miles away, a viewpoint a mile above it. This circuit does both: Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level, then Dantes View at 5,475 feet looking straight down onto the salt flat you just stood on. Zabriskie Point, the eroded badland formation on the way, is best at sunrise and takes about ninety seconds to walk to.
Furnace Creek to Zabriskie Point, Badwater Basin and up to Dantes View in one day.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point on the continent
- Dantes View looks down more than a vertical mile onto the same salt flat
- Zabriskie Point at sunrise is one of the great short walks in the park system
- Artists Drive is a nine mile one-way spur on the same road
Stops
- 1
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Park hub, water, and the ranger station.
- 2
Zabriskie Point
Two minute walk to the badlands overlook.
- 3
Dantes View
Overlook at 5,475 feet, directly above the salt flat.
- 4
Badwater Basin
Salt flat boardwalk at 282 feet below sea level.
When to go
Best time to go
November through March. Summer temperatures routinely exceed 120F and are dangerous.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 4h 13m
Before you go
Know before you go
- Carry far more water than you think you need, and drink it before you feel thirsty.
- Cell coverage in the park is minimal to nonexistent.
- Dantes View road prohibits vehicles over 25 feet. The last stretch is steep.
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