3 of the Best Death Valley Places to Visit

Are you planning to visit Death Valley, a national park that lies between the states of Nevada and California? If you are going to visit the national park to see what it is like and to experience it firsthand for yourself, you should know of some of the different Death Valley places to visit while you are there. Many people like to check out a few different parts of the national park to enhance their experience even more.

Check Out the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

While you are in Death Valley, make sure you spend some time walking up and down the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. You will quickly notice that it is a popular tourist spot with lots of people taking photos and running around in the sand while genuinely enjoying themselves. If you can make it all the way to the top of one of the sand dunes, you will have such beautiful sights to see. Make sure to have your phone or camera ready because you are going to want to take pictures of the scenery that is all around you.

Take in the Scenery at Dante’s View

Although you would need to drive around a bit more to get to Dante’s View, it is worth the extra time spent getting there. Because it is an elevated area of Death Valley, you can feel the breeze while you are standing thousands of feet above sea level. The views are breathtaking, and the experience is like no other.

Have Fun at Furnace Creek

While visiting Death Valley, you might want to consider camping out at Furnace Creek, which is the perfect place to stay when you want to spend time in a tent or RV before heading out to explore all the different parts of Death Valley. Furnace Creek is a popular spot because visitors will have access to various hiking trails and can even ride their bikes around on the designated pathways.

Make sure to include these Death Valley places to visit on your itinerary if you want to have a memorable time when you are hanging out in the area. You should remember to have plenty of water with you when walking around in Death Valley because of the excessively high temperatures that will leave you feeling a bit hot and sweaty. As long as you are staying hydrated, you can enjoy the stunning scenery that is all around you.

3 Reasons You Should Visit Death Valley National Park

There are many really interesting and unique national parks out there, but for those who really love to mark their checklist of the most different options, then going to visit Death Valley National Park should be high on that list of upcoming park destinations.Death Valley National Park  photo

Amazing Name for Amazing Park

Who doesn’t get intrigued by a name like Death Valley? While images of desert terrain and incredible heat aren’t wrong, they’re also a long way from the complete picture. Home to the hottest air location ever recorded, this desert area has interesting spots to visit. Look at the trails of the “moving” rocks across the desert, take a picture with the famed Tea Kettle Junction sign (and bring one to add, maybe?), visit the lowest point in the U.S. (Badwater Basin), or marvel and the rolling hills and mountains in the desert at Zabriskie Point.Death Valley National Park  photo

Plenty of Space

Here’s a weird fact for you: Death Valley National Park is the largest national park area-wise in the Lower 48. Yup – over 3 million acres of places to explore including trails for hiking, biking, and even driving. You will often feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere and if you love those classic “single road going on for miles in the middle of a beautiful nowhere” photographs there are plenty of different opportunities to find those there.Death Valley National Park  photo

Ideal Winter Visit

Make no mistake about it, when you visit Death Valley National Park during the winter the nights can get downright chilly, as they tend to in deserts, however the temperatures in December aren’t going to be as extreme as in a northern park. This can lead to some very pleasant days exploring this incredibly vast area, and while it is increasing in popularity it doesn’t have nearly the traffic headaches or issues many other National Parks do.

When you look at these reasons, it makes a lot of sense why you’ll want to include Death Valley on your next National Park bucket list!

The Death Valley Bucket List

Death Valley received its unfortunate name many years ago when a party of pioneers made a decision to go through the Valley on their way to California. As they traveled through this dangerous region, one of their party members died. All of the other members of the group made it through safely but the legend says that there was a particular member of the group who coined the expression, “Goodbye, Death Valley” as they left.Death Valley photo

If you believe in this legend then you will appreciate that even though this area is extremely dangerous, it is also considered one of the most beautiful National Parks in the United States. Today, however, a trip into this unique Valley will not be dangerous at all as long as you are prepared. In fact, there are some awesome unique experiences in Death Valley that you will not find anywhere else.

To complete your Death Valley bucket list experience will require a 4 hour trip by car from Los Angeles, California. If you leave from Las Vegas, your Death Valley bucket list experience will only be a two-hour trip. The best way to get there from California is by using Highway 190. Some of the wonders that you will encounter while visiting Death Valley include a soak in a natural Hot Spring, a visit to a real ghost town, lively desert wildlife, delightful desert blooms, epic landscapes, and towering sand dunes.Death Valley photo

For example, at Badwater Basin, you are 86 m below sea level. This makes it definitely the lowest point in North America. Right beside the basin, you will see Telescope Peak which rises over 3000 m above sea level. If you want to do a photo shoot, then this is the perfect spot.

Of course, any trip to Death Valley would be incomplete without visiting the towering sand dunes. There are 5 different sand dunes that you can experience. You may even be able to take a moonlit night tour offered by the Park Rangers. If you are fortunate, you might even encounter some of the wildlife that scurries around during the nighttime.Death Valley photo

Most people do not realize that there are more than 1000 plant species throughout Death Valley. The plant life in Death Valley is truly unique. If you have an opportunity to visit between mid-February and early June, you will be in for a spectacular blossom experience that is not found anywhere else. Other interesting side trips should include a visit to a real ghost town and a relaxing soak in a Natural Hot Spring.