by Rebecca Hollman
Updated on Jan 5, 2018

ABOUT DEATH VALLEY

Death Valley National Park is the lowest, driest and hottest spot in all of North America. It boasts an average rainfall of 3 inches per year and has the record for the hottest air temperature ever recorded- 134 degrees. It also is home to the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin, which is 282 feet below sea level. The highest peak in the park, 11,049 foot Telescope Peak, is only 15 miles away from Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the US. The vertical drop from Telescope Peak to Badwater Basin is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. Death Valley is 3.4 million acres, making it the biggest US national park outside of Alaska. Death Valley has around 6,000-10,000 abandoned mines and a few abandoned towns that rose up during the gold rush. The park is home to the darkest skies in the US and so is perfect for star gazing during mild temperatures.

WHEN TO VISIT DEATH VALLEY

Winter time is generally the best time to visit Death Valley. With average temperatures around 70 degrees in the winter, this is the most ideal time for hiking. Because of the longer shadows in winter, you get better lighting which really highlights Death Valley's color. The extremely bright sunlight in the summer can wash out the colors. Visiting anytime between October and March will guarantee you will have mild temperatures. February and March give you a chance of seeing wildflowers in bloom. Death Valley is open during the summer, but generally by May it is too hot for most visitors.

THE TOP 15 HIKES IN DEATH VALLEY

1. Dante's View

Dante's View is a 1.0 mile out and back trail with an elevation change of 200 feet. This trail is considered easy and the estimated hiking time is 30 minutes. Dante's View is an overlook that can be driven up to with an optional one mile trail leading from both ends of the parking lot. This is the most visited spot in the park so try to visit during non-peak hours. This is a great spot to watch the sunrise but be prepared- it can be very chilly and windy at this lookout point. The lookout provides panoramic views of Badwater Basin. The trailhead and lookout parking are on Dante's View Road.

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2. Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is a 1.0 mile (or however far you want to keep walking) out and back trail with a negligible elevation change. This trail is considered easy and the estimated hiking time is 30 minutes. This boardwalk hike allows visitors a closer look at the lowest point in the US and the extreme harshness of Death Valley. Take a step off the boardwalk and walk on the salt flats themselves. What looks like snow from a distance, is actually salt crystals that have pushed up through the mud and expanded to create a salt flat decorated with strange patterns in its uneven crust. The trailhead is located on a well marked turnoff for Barker Dam off of Park Boulevard. From Furnace Creek, the trailhead is 17 miles south on Badwater Road. The road passes Artist’s Drive, another worthy attraction with unique Death Valley geology.

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3. Zabriskie Point

Like Dante's View, Zabriskie Point is a famous overlook in Death Valley. The overlook is only a short walk away from the parking lot. Again, like Dante's View, this is a very popular spot in Death Valley and so it can get very crowded. I recommend taking a quick look from here and then heading into the canyons themselves on either the Badlands Loop or the Golden Canyon - Gower Gulch Loop. The lookout is on Zabriskie Point Road, 4 miles from Furnace Creek.

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4. Badlands Loop

Badlands Loop is a 2.5 mile loop trail with a 300 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered moderate and the estimated hiking time is 1 hour 15 minutes. The hike starts from Zabriskie Point lookout and follows the Gower Gulch trail before splitting off to the right. This trail leads you down into the canyons and gives amazing views of the borax and mudstone formations. The trailhead is at the Zabriskie Point Parking Lot.

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5. Golden Canyon - Gower Gulch Loop

Golden Canyon - Gower Gulch Loop is a 6.0 mile loop trail with a 875 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered moderately strenuous and the estimated hiking time is 4 hours 30 minutes. This hike is an extremely varied hike leading through amazing badlands and old mining shafts. This hike gives the best overview of badlands terrain and allows access to many slot canyons, a dry river bed and panoramas of the park. I would definitely recommend adding this trail on after stopping at Zabriskie Point. The trailhead is at the Zabriskie Point Parking Lot.

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6. Sidewinder Canyon

Sidewinder Canyon is a 4.2 mile out and back trail with a 750 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered moderate and the estimated hiking time is 3 hours 15 minutes. This hike is an extremely remote trail that leads to three relatively unexplored and unvisited slot canyons. The trailhead is unmarked and the trail only has occasional cairns along the way for guidance, creating a remote trek in a Death Valley canyon. If you want to really get away from the crowds and do some exploring, this is the trail for you. From Furnace Creek, drive 31.2 miles miles south on Badwater Road (15 miles past Badwater Basin) and turn east (left) on an unmarked dirt road on the outside of a sharp bend in the road. Drive through a small working gravel pit and turn right into the southern end of the parking area not far from Badwater Road.

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7. Wildrose Peak

Wildrose Peak is an 8.2 mile out and back trail with a 2200 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered moderately strenuous and the estimated hiking time is 5 hours. This hike is a shorter and slightly easier option than the 14 mile Telescope Peak. Although Telescope is the tallest mountain in the park, Wildrose is a close second and still offers great views of the park, Badwater Basin and Telescope Peak. This is a good half day hike with stellar views of the park. The trail also has 10 charcoal kilns- which converted lumber to charcoal for miners between 1877-1879. The trailhead is located 7 miles past the Wildrose Campground at the Charcoal Kilns Parking Lot.

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8. Telescope Peak

Telescope Peak is an 14 mile out and back trail with a 3200 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered strenuous and the estimated hiking time is 8 hours. This is the hike to do if you want to appreciate the extremes from the park. Once you reach the peak, it's an 11,331 foot drop to Badwater Basin below you. This is a difficult hike, and the peak is snow capped most of the year, but it gives some of the most panoramic views. Allow yourself an entire day to complete this hike. The trailhead is at the Mahogany Flats Campground- a short distance from the Wildrose Campground.

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9. Mosaic Canyon

Mosaic Canyon is an 4 mile out and back trail with a 750 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered moderate and the estimated hiking time is 2 hours 30 minutes. This is a popular and easy way to get into the narrow ravines of Death Valley and experience the canyons from the inside instead of looking down. There are tons of other trails that lead into the ravines or to slot canyons, but this is a very short and easy access hike to give a taste of the geology of the park.

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10. Ubehebe Crater

Ubehebe Crater is an 2 mile loop trail with a 250 ft. elevation change. This trail is considered easy and the estimated hiking time is 1 hours 30 minutes. The parking lot for Ubehebe Crater offers views of the crater, but to really explore more of the Ubehebe and Little Hebe, take one of the three trails around the crater (or all three). The Rim Trail is a 2 mile loop going around the outside of Ubehebe. Little Hebe Trail branches off from the Rim Trail and is its own 1 mile loop surrounding the second crater, Little Hebe. Because of its smaller size, Little Hebe is actually easier to photograph than Ubehebe. The last trail is a quick descent down into the crater. Be careful of loose gravel and soil when taking this trail. Both craters were formed by magma and groundwater interacting to create steam and intense internal pressure. Once the pressure from the steam reached a certain point, it caused an explosion, blasting the ground above to over 6 miles away. Ubehebe is the largest explosion crater in Death Valley, reaching half a mile across and 500 ft. deep. The trailhead is at the Ubehebe Crater parking area, 8 miles west of Scotty’s Castle.

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11. Devil's Golf Course

Devil's Golf Course actually has no marked trail and is open for exploring so there is no designated mileage or time for this hike. This area is one of the most unique geological features in the park. The salt flats were formed when Lake Manly evaporated over 10,000 years ago. When the water evaporated, it left behind these large, jagged salt crystals. This salt flat is gets it's name from a 1934 National Park Service manual that states "only the Devil could play golf" on such a course. Take extreme caution while exploring this area, the salt crystals are very sharp and visitors are prone to cuts or twisted ankles.

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12. The Racetrack

The Racetrack is another area to explore that has no marked trail. Explore at your own pace and for as far as you want to go. The playa itself is 2 miles across and 3 miles deep. This dry lakebed playa was formed by a lake evaporating thousands of years ago. However the dry lakebed is not what makes this area unique; it is the trails from moving rocks (some over 100 pounds) left on the lakebed that are interesting. No one quite knows how the rocks are able to move, but it has been suggested that a combination of low overnight temperatures allowing ice to form, the sun melting the ice and high winds play a part in moving the rocks. Note that the road to reach this area requires 4 wheel drive.

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13. Artist's Palette/Artist's Drive

Artist's Drive is a 9 mile stretch of road with impressive views of Badwater Basin below. There are many stop offs along the drive but the main stop off is for Artist's Palette. This short hike leads to mineral deposits that give the rocks a wide range of pastel colors. Various metals have oxidized the soil, giving varying hues of purple, blue, red, yellow and green. Iron-rich hematite produce the reds and pinks, yellows and golds seep from various iron oxides, volcanic ash deposits form the greens and manganese creates the purples. Artist's Palette is part of the Artist Drive scenic loop, located 10 miles south of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on Badwater Road.

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14. Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes

Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes is another area to explore that has no marked trail. This "hike" can be as long or hard as you want to make it. Park off the side of Highway 190 and explore the 14 square miles of the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes. The unique thing about these dunes, is that they can be fully explored- foot traffic, dune boarding, etc are all allowed. Although these aren't the tallest dunes in the park, they are the most versatile considering you can drive or board on them. The dunes were formed by erosion of the nearby Cottonwood Mountains.

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15. Eureka Sand Dunes

Eureka Sand Dunes is another area to explore that has no marked trail. This "hike" can be as long or hard as you want to make it, although give yourself at least an hour if you want to make it to the top of the highest dune. The highest dune in Eureka is also the highest dune in the US. Besides being the tallest dunes in the US, Eureka Sand Dunes also create a unique low humming sound that can be heard throughout the area. The Eureka Dunes are also known as “singing dunes”—at certain times, the wind blows the sand in a way such that it makes a whistling sound similar to a high-pitched tune. Please note that this area requires 4 wheel drive to reach.